Port of Cherbourg gears up for marine renewables

As part of the ongoing extension works, the Port of Cherbourg has made 44 hectares of port land alongside a heavy-load quay with a bearing capacity of 15t/m2 already available for the marine renewable energies sector.

The €100 million worth of ongoing extension works undertaken by Ports of Normandy Authority (PNA) will make 100 hectares available in the Port of Cherbourg to be used by marine energy developers in 2016.

Aimed at the industrials, energy and logistics providers of the offshore and tidal wind energies sector, 44 hectares are already available on existing port land, at the Quai des Mielles.

The extension project comprises the construction of new heavy-load quay which has been completed this March. The 320 m long linear wharf, with a bearing capacity of 15t/m2 and a dredged trench of 14 metres CD, is well suited to the requirements of logistics operators in the renewable energies sector, PNA’s press release reads.

PNA states the diversion works for access roads and railway lines that will complete the project will be constructed by the end of 2015.

France announced several marine renewable energy projects for the Normandy region where the Port of Cherbourg is located, including the development of tidal energy pilot farms at Raz Blanchard, off Cotentin Peninsula.

Together with Engie, Alstom has been chosen in December 2014 to equip the Raz Blanchard tidal pilot farm with four Oceade 18 – 1.4MW tidal turbines.

Also, DCNS (OpenHydro parent company) and EDF Energies Nouvelles were selected by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) to develop a tidal array consisting of 7 OpenHydro’s 2 MW tidal turbines at Raz Blanchard.

The projects are expected to be completed by 2020.

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Image: Robert Lebarbier/PNA