A new investigation has been opened by the public prosecutor's office in Brest (Finistère) into suspected pollution on the construction site of the Saint-Brieuc wind farm.
The investigation entrusted to the maritime gendarmerie started after a report from the Côtes d'Armor fisheries committee.
“We received a letter from a lawyer mandated by the fisheries committee with visual elements denouncing pollution.
A preliminary investigation was opened in August,” said Camille Miansoni, Brest prosecutor, confirming information from Mediapart.
In July, the fisheries committees of the Côtes d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine had asked for the stop of the site after having learned of "intentional spills" of "quantity of preparation used for the chemical sealing of the piles" on board of the drillship the Aeolus.
When questioned, the company in charge of the construction of the Ailes Marines park, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Iberdrola, said that it had carried out unannounced checks on the boat without noticing "unauthorized spillage or unusual event inherent in the drilling and installation of piles at sea”.
Already a hydraulic leak in 2021
The Brest prosecutor's office had already opened an investigation after a hydraulic oil leak on the wind farm site in June 2021. "This investigation is still ongoing," said the prosecutor.
"This oil had to be analyzed to determine its characteristics," he added.
Contested by fishermen, the park of 62 wind turbines in the bay of Saint-Brieuc must enter service at the end of 2023. It should produce the equivalent of 9% of the electricity consumption of Brittany and "will contribute to its energy autonomy", according to Marine Wings.
Planet
Renewable energies: Why the marine environment has become an incredible technological laboratory
Planet
Renewable energies: How does it work?
Saint Brieuc
Brittany
Brest
Pollution
Sea
Wind turbine
Sin
Company