You have surely noticed them if you are on vacation on the beaches of the north of Loire-Atlantique. Eighty wind turbines are under construction at sea, off Saint-Nazaire, and they can be seen from afar, especially from Pornichet beach.
It spoils the landscape. Why the sea and why such a beautiful place?
Many holidaymakers stop this Sunday afternoon to enjoy the view of the bay. And some take a dim view of the progress of work on the Saint-Nazaire wind farm. “This is not beautiful”, slice Antoine, 32 years old. Originally from Oise, he has been spending his holidays on the beach at Pornichet for twenty-two years because his family owns a mobile home here.
“I think it disfigures the view. Those who made this choice surely had their reasons, but personally, I don’t find it pretty, especially since the bay is very beautiful.” His partner, Pauline, agrees. “They are right in front of us when we are facing the sea, she points out. I might not have chosen this location in their place.”
A point of view shared by other vacationers, like Cédric, originally from Marseille. “I think it’s shameful, he says, sitting in the sand with his son. “It ruins the landscape and they could have chosen another place. Why the sea and why in such a beautiful place?”
Less noise pollution
For Anna, English teacher in the Paris region, the idea of installing wind turbines at sea is on the contrary a good compromise to avoid nuisances. “At least we don’t hear them since they are far away, she remarks. It is true that the noise of the rotating blades must be unpleasant, but there is no such problem. And then there are constructions that are much less pretty.”
For some vacationers, you will have to learn to deal with it. Alain and Mette come from Rennes and are in Pornichet for a week. “It may not be very pretty, but it is a necessity if you want to save energy, explains Mette, born in Denmark. Where I come from, there are a lot of wind turbines. Once you get used to seeing them on the horizon, it’s not that bad.”
Electricity has already been produced since early June with offshore wind turbines in Saint-Nazaire. Other offshore wind farms are under construction in France, such as Fécamp in Seine-Maritime or Saint-Brieuc in Côtes d’Armor.