4 mayors of Loire-Atlantique request state intervention

The mayors of Nantes, Montoir-de-Bretagne, Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Herblain challenge the Ministers of Ecological Transition and the Economy in a letter.

The company GE Vernova announced a social plan which would lead to the elimination of 360 jobs in offshore wind power in Loire-Atlantique. Concerned about the repercussions on the industrial activity of the fabric of SMEs and subcontractors, Johanna Rolland, Thierry Noguet, David Samzun et Bertrand Affilé sent this Wednesday, October 16 to Agnès Pannier-Runacher Minister of Ecological Transition, Energy and Climate, and Antoine ArmandMinister of the Economy, Finance and Industry, a letter. They are asking for State intervention and respect for consistency with its discourse of reindustrialization and energy transition.

8,000 jobs throughout France

Offshore wind power currently represents more than 8,000 jobs throughout France. “In Saint-Nazaire and Nantes we have been proactive since 2011, supported by the Pays de la Loire Region, to put the excellence of local know-how at the service of this new sector in order to consolidate its chances of development. Collectively we have invested massively in infrastructure, ports in particular, in research by actively supporting the activity of our university laboratories and our major schools, in training, but also in the structuring of an entire local and regional value chain. We also, alongside the State, helped the arrival in Montoir de Bretagne of Alstom, now GE, by supporting the jobs created through a regional development bonus. As you know, in the industry we need national locomotives. These locomotives are essential to penetrate the very competitive European and global wind turbine market, but also to ensure the role of driving belt for the fabric of SMEs and industrial ETIs which constitute the essential part of our economic fabric and which we are keen to support in its development” write the 4 mayors. The latter believe that it is the duty of the State to ensure the development of new French wind farms to achieve the objective of 40 GW set, and thus “consolidate the massive investments made, particularly in Ports, to address energy transition issues. It is also its duty to protect its industry by reserving a substantial part of these calls for tenders for “local content”, as our North American neighbors know very well to do.” they estimate. “At a time when, with its expertise linked to the construction of the first French offshore wind farm, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port wishes to adapt its infrastructure to support the deployment of high-power offshore wind power with the Éole project, support for the sector is more relevant than ever. A true assembly platform for the installed and floating wind turbines of tomorrow, the Éole site will be made available to industrialists in the sector to store and assemble wind turbines intended for future parks on the Atlantic coast. This site could also serve other industrial sectors in the region. Taking part in the broad consultation already underway, we support with the greatest convictions this major industrial development project. Aware of the complexity of the subject necessary to support the sector in a European regulatory context, we call on your responsibility to bring this debate to the level where it should be, and give it the importance it deserves. Without intervention on your part, GE will close its factories and design offices and will bring with it numerous subcontractors, leaving everyone with the incomprehensible impression of a missed opportunity at the time of a speech by the Proactive state on reindustrialization and energy transition ».