Italian group Erg has commissioned five 4.5 MW Vestas turbines in Montbéliard, raising the wind farm's capacity to 22.5 MW under a 20-year contract for difference.

Italian group Erg has completed construction and commissioned the Montbéliard wind farm, in the Doubs department of eastern France. The project is the first wind repowering scheme carried out by the group in France. The move reflects a broader trend of upgrading existing infrastructure, as other markets, such as Japan, now cap new wind capacity through auctions with a ceiling price for wind-generated electricity.

Five Vestas turbines for doubled capacity

According to a statement from Erg, the revamped wind farm now comprises five Vestas V136 turbines with a unit capacity of 4.5 MW each, reaching a total height of 180 metres. Installed capacity now stands at 22.5 MW, an operation the company says more than doubles the output of the previous configuration. Estimated annual production stands at around 62 GWh, nearly three times the volume generated by the earlier installation. Erg states that the site's land footprint remains unchanged, with the operator making use of existing infrastructure already in place.

A twenty-year contract for difference

The Montbéliard wind farm benefits from a contract for difference lasting twenty years, a mechanism intended to secure stable long-term revenue from electricity sales. Erg says the output would cover the electricity needs of around 44,000 households, avoiding an estimated 18 kilotonnes of CO2 emissions per year. These figures come as the global wind sector remains exposed to operational risks, as illustrated recently by the shutdown of a turbine by Ørsted following a fire at its Greater Changhua 4 offshore wind farm.

Repowering as a strategic priority

Paolo Merli, Erg's chief executive officer, said the project "gives further visibility to the value of wind repowering," a lever he described as allowing the fleet to be modernised while stabilising long-term energy sale prices. The Italian group presents the operation as an illustration of its strategy of renewing existing wind assets rather than developing new sites. Montbéliard thus stands as a reference for similar future projects by the group in France.