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Wind turbines at sea off Saint-Nazaire: navigation authorized but strictly supervised

2022-12-20T13:53:15.244Z


From January 1, 2023, it will be possible to sail within the first French wind farm in operation. The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture has issued an order with specific measures to preserve the safety of professionals and boaters.


Le Figaro Nantes

The offshore wind farm off Saint-Nazaire continues its pioneering role.

After being inaugurated last September by Emmanuel Macron as the first of its kind in France and becoming the first to run at full speed on November 23, it is now the first in which navigation will be authorized within it for professionals and boaters.

This measure will become effective from January 1, 2023.

"It was a desire to reopen this area as soon as possible and as widely as possible while allowing its exploitation"

, explains to

Le Figaro

, Alban Simon, the spokesperson for the prefect Atlantic seaboard.

Strict measures, set by a specific decree, must be respected to navigate in this 78km2 space comprising 80 wind turbines and an electrical substation.

In this so-called "regulated" area, access will be authorized for sailing or motor vessels whose size does not exceed 25 meters.

The speed will be limited to 12 knots (22km/h, editor's note).

It will be forbidden, except in case of emergency, to drop an anchor there.

It is also forbidden to approach within 50 meters of the masts of the wind turbines or to be within 200 meters of the electrical substation.

No jet skis, kayaks, or kiteboards

“The size chosen for the boats corresponds to that of the local users who are the fishermen.

As for the limited speed, its purpose is to avoid accidents, in particular with the operator's ships present on the site”

, deciphers the one who is also frigate captain.

Jet skis will not be allowed in the area.

Same thing for kayaks, canoes or kitesurfers:

“Beyond six nautical miles from a shelter, you need safety equipment that cannot be carried on this type of equipment.

So there is no reason for them to venture there.

»

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Another element to take into account: each boat that wants to navigate in the restricted area must be equipped with an AIS (an aid to navigation and a ship identification system, Editor's note)

"class A or B"

.

Why that ?

“Wind turbines jam radars, so monitoring and identifying objects at sea is more complicated there.

It is a safety imperative to detect a possible vessel in difficulty”

, answers Alban Simon.

Security: an operational device but which still needs to be tested

According to Alban Simon, the risks caused by the reopening of navigation within the wind farm have been anticipated.

An operational device is already active.

It consists in particular of allowing a helicopter to be hoisted, in the event of an emergency, thanks to the stopping of a wind turbine.

“Exercises bringing together the operator, the SNSM and the maritime prefecture via the cross of Étel must still take place to test this chain in different scenarios”, he indicates.

For those who contravene the rules enacted by the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic, sanctions such as fines or withdrawal of license are planned.

Increased surveillance by the maritime gendarmes is announced from the beginning of January as well as during the summer period, considered as a

"critical phase"

, because traffic is expected to increase.

A communication campaign, which will target boaters in particular, will be set up before the summer to remind you of the rules in force in the restricted area.

Diving soon authorized?

“The current regulations are intended to be open and scalable

,” adds Alban Simon.

Thus, underwater diving, currently prohibited in the area, could soon be authorized.

“There are discussions with representatives of the sector”

, he admits, admitting a potential

“fairly rapid evolution”

of this file.

Negotiations are also underway regarding the opening of the restricted area to tourist vessels.

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“It is already envisaged in the decree taken since article 7 mentions possible derogations issued by the maritime prefecture for passenger ships”

, adds the frigate captain.

If the goal is not to

“create a Euro Disney”

, setting up a commercial activity within the wind farm is indeed a possibility.

The

“scalable”

model of regulated navigation set up in Saint-Nazaire could well be applied in the future to other French offshore wind farms.

One thing is already certain: the regulations will not be the same every time.

It will have to adapt to the

“specificities”

of each site.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2022-12-20

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