Enerfip in Freewheeling Day 3 · In seventh heaven

We're off again for this third day and more than 60 km of cycling! And as promised, today we're visiting a new project. And guess who climbed to the top of a wind turbine?

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Day 3: Discovery of a wind farm. We join our partner Valeco!

In continuation of our cycling expedition in favor of the energy transition, we spent the night in a fabulous gîte – we recommend it, by the way!
We enjoyed a very good local breakfast, prepared by our hosts. Enough to give the whole group strength – the proof is in pictures!

So at 9:15 a.m. we hit the road again – heading for our next destination: the Valeco wind farm, located in the town of Les Martys, bordering Aude and Tarn. To continue our adventures, it was difficult to find our way among all these wind turbines. Fortunately, a Valeco technician present on site directed us to our destination.

Upon our arrival on site, we witnessed a drone flight. The technician at the controls explained that he was taking around 400 photos of the wind turbine that day. The goal? To reconstruct it to ensure there were no technical problems.

It must be said that this wind turbine is tall (over 80m)! And the 5 brave souls who climbed to the summit won't tell you otherwise.

Energy transition: 6 wind turbines for the Valeco wind farm

Wind power is a very useful renewable resource for providing local energy, essential in the energy transition. It is therefore a question of having a 100% green source of electricity production to help combat global warming.

Commissioned in 2020, the Gramentès wind farm produced 27,824 MWh in 2021, which represents the annual consumption of 12,911 people (source CRE 2022 and INSEE).

During this visit, our hosts for the day were very informative in answering our many questions. It was also an opportunity for us to share with them this daily life that seems so different from ours.

In this regard, the technicians tell us, for example, that Enercon, the manufacturer and maintainer of the wind turbines, performs preventive maintenance operations twice a year. It must be said that the six motors that turn the nacelle deserve to be taken care of. To this end, remote control software coordinates the operation of the machines and sends technicians on-site in the event of major problems.

To protect wildlife, the technicians studied the bird nesting periods. As a result, the wind turbines in the park shut down in good time to avoid incidents. The same is true for bats, since the wind turbines shut down during their breeding season. The Gramentès park also has an ADS – Bird Detection System.

Founded in 1995, Valeco is a company specializing in the development, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of renewable energy production plants in France and internationally. It is a key partner for all elected officials, citizens, landowners, and investors who wish to contribute to a sustainable energy future. The company has a headquarters in Montpellier and several agencies throughout the country. Valeco is one of the Top 10 operators on the French market.

60 km to reach our accommodation, on the banks of the Canal du Midi

Part of the team stays in Gramentès to visit one of the wind turbines while the other part heads to Carcassonne for a quick bite to eat. Once the break is over, the team gets back on their bikes. 47 km still await us to reach our new accommodation, located in Homps!

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You're going off the rails!

Renewable energies and preconceived ideas

Do wind turbines really make noise?

Today, thanks to technical improvements, wind turbines are getting quieter and quieter. Generally speaking, regulations require that wind turbines be placed at least 500 m away from homes* so that the noise becomes imperceptible. Currently, regulations require a noise level of less than 55 decibels, which is in practice a very low level. You can converse at the foot of a wind turbine without having to raise your voice or perceive any disturbance (as you can see in the video).

*source: Engie Green

And what about their negative impact on birds?

To limit the negative impact of wind turbines on flora and fauna, there are many environmental measures. For example, this involves banning the construction of wind turbines on the migratory paths of certain birds. Consequently, impact studies are carried out. You can find this information on the project pages of Enerfip. In addition, it is possible to shut down a wind turbine if necessary or if there is a significant influx of certain animals at certain times, as is the case for the Gramentès wind farm.

In any case, wind turbines produce intermittently and are not a reliable source of energy...

This is another completely false preconception. Indeed, this is a parameter that manufacturers have long integrated, and several mechanisms are in place to overcome this:

• Interconnections make it possible to compensate for the production of a failing source with that of another source. But when wind power production is insufficient, this can be compensated for by using other sources of carbon-free energy such as hydroelectric power plants.

• Various storage technologies exist and are currently being developed, such as compressed air fuel cells or hydrogen fuel cells.

Are wind turbines recyclable?

During its design, a wind turbine is thought to fully integrate the concept of sustainable development. Its spare parts can therefore be recycled, or revalued by being reused on another machine of the same type.

It is important to know that 98% of the materials that make up a wind turbine are recyclable:

• steels and metals are present in very large quantities at different levels, and will be recycled by scrap metal dealers;

• the concrete used in the foundations can be crushed and reused for other local projects outside of wind power;

• cables and electronic components have their own collection and recycling channel via Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE);

– the blades are made of composite materials that can become solid recovered fuel (SRF).

The components of a wind turbine can also be reused on other machines. Ingenious, isn't it?

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