Located in one of France’s strongest wind power areas, the Fère-Champenoise wind project will feature GE’s most advanced installed wind turbine technology. The project will help move the country closer to its goal to produce 23 percent of its domestic energy from wind by 2020.

GE began installing 18 wind turbines earlier this month. The wind turbines will be used at three sites within the Champagne-Ardennes region: seven units at Corroy, six units at Euvy and five units at Fère-Champenoise. Total capacity of the three sites will be 45 megawatts, enough clean, wind-generated electricity to meet the requirements of approximately 45,000 people.

Because of its high wind potential and large agricultural areas available for wind turbine installations, the Champagne-Ardennes region is particularly well-suited for the development of wind projects. More than 580 megawatts of wind power capacity already are installed here representing 25 percent of the region’s electricity supply, according to Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables.

“GE offered a product, with the 2.5-100, that is a good match for this region,” said Jean-Yves Grandidier, president and founder of Valorem SAS, one of the developers involved in the Fère-Champenoise project. “This turbine offers a very high level of efficiency and annual energy production, thanks to its 100-meter rotor diameter.”

“Valorem has chosen GE’s most advanced installed wind turbine technology in terms of efficiency, reliability and grid connection capabilities.” said Ricardo Cordoba, president of GE Energy Western Europe & North Africa.

Fereole, a special purpose entity owned by Ailenergie, and Corroy Energies, which is owned by Valorem SAS, are the purchasers of the GE 2.5-megawatt wind turbines. Valorem is an independent French project developer.

GE’s 2.5-megawatt series is globally available. GE’s 2.5 megawatt series wind turbines are being used at two of the world’s largest wind projects: at Europe’s largest onshore project, CEZ Romania’s Fantanele wind farm and at Caithness Energy’s Sheperds Flats wind project under construction in Oregon—the world’s largest wind farm. GE’s 2.5 megawatt series is designed to yield the highest annual energy production in its class and builds upon the success of GE’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, the world’s most widely deployed wind turbine with more than 14,500 now installed.