The site
Choice of site and local area
When choosing a site for wind turbines, a number of technical and regulatory criteria must be factored in, as well as contextual aspects and the issues at stake for the area.
The criteria factored in:
Wind energy resource: wind exposure
An analysis of the wind energy resource determines the technical and economic feasibility of a project and the siting of the wind turbines in relation to one another. A 102-metre tall wind mast was erected in Plourac’h between the localities of Kernon and Kerléron in July 2021.
Technical easements: regulatory constraints to factor into the project
These include civil and military aeronautics, radio-relay systems, minimum distances from army radars, civil aviation and Météo France... These constraints have been taken into account in the definition of the study area. Consultations have been held with all these bodies regarding the siting of a wind project in this geographical area.
Nature-related concerns (flora and fauna): the presence of noteworthy species, protected areas or naturalistic inventories.
The presence of biodiversity and natural heritage in the study area requires detailed prospecting of nature-related concerns in order to propose a project having less environmental impact.
Heritage and landscaping concerns: outstanding landscapes and viewpoints, hiking trails, ancient monuments and conservation areas, Grands Sites, UNESCO site, unlisted heritage sites, etc.
The project zone is sited outside any listed monument or conservation areas. The project is sited on wooded and agricultural land.
Grid connection possibilities: the power generated by a wind farm is collected on site then transmitted to a source substation, a node on the national power grid.
The prospective 225 kV source substation is currently being studied in the Plusquellec council area, about ten kilometres from the study area.
Regulations governing the minimum distance between wind turbines and the nearest homes: French regulations prohibit a wind turbine from being erected less than 500 metres from a dwelling
This criterion is preponderant in demarcating potential areas for siting a wind farm. Moreover, a noise impact assessment is carried out more particularly to ascertain compliance with noise thresholds imposed for the nearest homes. These thresholds are 3dB at night and 5dB during the day compared with the initial noise. They are set by the government order of 26/08/2011 on wind power plants in respect of facilities classified for environmental protection.
Based on these criteria and the findings of environmental, landscaping and acoustic studies, it will be possible to propose a coherent site for the wind turbines that factors in the concerns of the local area.
At this juncture, the project’s final siting is as yet unknown. We are studying a number of siting scenarios for between 3 and 5 wind turbines no more than 150 metres tall at the tip of the blade.
