Navigation in the Saint-Brieuc Bay wind farm: what is authorized… or not

From the July 1, 2024it will be possible to navigate around and in the area of ​​the wind farm in the bay of Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor), the first offshore park to be in operation in Brittany and second in France, after that of Saint-Nazaire .

The Maritime Prefect of the Atlantic, Jean-François Quérat, signed a decree on Friday June 21 governing this resumption. Established after “through a continuous dialogue between State services and the various users (boaters, fishermen, etc.)”, it will be supplemented in the coming days by a complementary decree on the provisions relating to professional fishing.

What are the conditions for navigating in the park…

• Maximum speed : Navigation within the regulated zone is now possible for vessels of less than 25 metres, subject to a speed limit of 12 knots. “We should therefore not imagine that crossing the park, instead of going around it, will save time,” warns François-Régis Bertaud du Chazaud, principal administrator of Maritime Affairs.
• Identification at night or in bad weather: In the event of poor visibility (at night or unfavorable weather conditions), an AIS system (automatic identification system) must be transmitted. It is a box which automatically transmits the identity of the boat, its name, its position, its heading, etc.
• Prohibited areas : Navigation and any maritime activity remain prohibited within a radius of 50 meters around each of the wind turbines and 200 meters around the electrical substation. “It is important to respect this distance. Due to the currents, we can quickly find ourselves pressed against the wind turbines and this can become dangerous,” notes the principal administrator of Maritime Affairs.
• Anchorage prohibited: Anchoring is prohibited throughout the park area, due to the inter-wind turbine cables.
• Diving and towed activities prohibited: Underwater activities and navigation using aerotracted or towed devices (kite, water skiing, etc.) are prohibited in the park area.

The resumption of activities will be accompanied by the presence of State resources in the park area in an educational approach in order to raise awareness of the regulations in force. “If in use, with potential accidents, we see that the measures are not sufficient,” indicates François-Régis Bertaud du Chazaud, “they will have to evolve. »

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon -.