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Cham Longe St-Etienne-de-Lugdarès et Astet

Cham Longe is the highest wind farm in France (1457 meters above sea level). Commissioned in 2005 on a ridge line of the Montagne Ardéchoise, its spectacular scenery faces harsh weather conditions. In 2020, Boralex decided to repower the wind farm by dismantling 12 of its 14 turbines and replacing them with an equal number of turbines better suited to the site’s environment. This project is Boralex’s first repowering in France and worldwide.

Operational project

Location

St-Etienne-de-Lugdarès et Astet, Ardèche, France

Description

  • Commissioning dateJanuary 2020
  • 39.95 MW Production

  • Around 46 000* inhabitants Supplied with electricity

  • 14 Wind turbines

  • Around 4 900* tons of CO2 Avoided annually

Technicien éolien au travail

Technical data

  • TurbinesEnercon
  • Rotor diameter82 m
  • Platform height78 m

About Boralex

All you need to know about Boralex's activity worldwide.

This way

Technicien souriant

Origins of the repowering project

2005, commissioning of the wind farm 

While the wind farm offers hikers and passersby a breathtaking view of the Monts d’Ardèche Regional Natural Park, it also faces weather conditions that can be described as extreme.

Lightning, frost and high electrical production are all factors that caused this wind farm to age faster than others. As a result, it required more maintenance operations than a wind farm subjected to what could be considered normal living conditions. After 15 years of operation and in order to allow the park to reach its nominal lifespan, Boralex would have had to undertake a major maintenance operation to extend its life, whereas the wind farm could just as well be optimized with current technologies.

The original park consisted of 14 wind turbines (12 installed in 2005, 2 installed in 2010) ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 MW, for a total of 22.6 MW.

Eoliennes, foret
Eolienne, ciel bleu

2020, repowering of the wind farm

In 15 years, the wind power sector has evolved significantly. Wind turbines today are technologically superior to anything that could be done in the mid-2000s. The new generation of wind turbines can support much higher load factors. Boralex therefore considered the possibility of renewing the first 12 wind turbines of the wind farm, a project that quickly showed great potential both for the territory and in terms of energy efficiency. In 2020, Boralex optimized its wind farm and extended its operation for a lifespan of 20 years.

Indeed, the first 12 wind turbines were dismantled and replaced by new, more efficient 119-meter machines: from 2.3 MW to 3 MW, for a total installed capacity of 39.95 MW.

New machines, new advantages:

  • Heated blades to prevent frost;
  • Gearless technology for increased durability;
  • Noise reduction systems integrated into the blades;
  • Guaranteed tax benefits for a new operational period

Learn more : Wind Farm Repowering

Natural Site Management 

From the initial wind farm project to its renewal in 2020, numerous measures have been implemented to ensure that wind farm operations have no impact on natural habitats of great interest, such as the Drosera (a small protected carnivorous plant).

Personne observant la nature

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*Consumption per inhabitant: Sources for France : ADEME, CRE, and RTE_Average consumption across all uses