France Jumps Into Wind Power

France will build one of the largest windfarms in Europe near the northwestern city of Calais.

PARIS, France (FR) 2002-02-08 [SolarAccess.com] With 100 turbines generating 150 megawatts, the project will provide electricity for 100,000 homes. The wind project will be built by the French subsidiary of German-based Ostwind International, over the next two years. The company was selected by Fruges, the main town in the canton of Pas-de-Calais, to proceed with the windfarm on 15 sites. Ostwind directors say France has taken a major step towards finding an alternative to traditional sources of energy, and promised a meticulous environmental study to avoid noise emissions and shade problems, and to give priority to local companies in the construction. France currently generates 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear reactors, but is slowly developing clean energy technologies to meet a directive from the European Community that requires member nations to generate 21 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2010.