French group picked for two 500 MW wind farms

PARIS, May 8 (UPI) -- French energy company GDF Suez said it was selected by the French government to install and operate two 500 megawatt offshore wind farms.

GDF Suez and its partners at EDP Renewables, Neoen Marine and AREVA were selected to lead development of the Treport and Isles of Yeu and Noirmoutier wind farms off the French coast.

"The partners are delighted about the decision, which is testament to the quality, competitiveness and environmental scope of the projects as well as the group’s expertise," GDF Suez said in a statement.

Manufacturing of the AREVA wind turbines, each with an 8 MW capacity, is set to begin in 2018 after a series of site consultations. Construction for both wind farms should begin in 2019, the French company said Wednesday.

The announcement follows the publication of a report by Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by member states. Alongside Germany and the United Kingdom, France was among the top emitters in 2013.

EU members are required to increase the share of renewable energy on their grids by 20 percent above a 1990s benchmark by 2020.