Both the companies will equally own the JV, which will design, manufacture, install, commission and service offshore wind turbines.
Adwen, which will employ 700 people, has a pipeline of 2.8GW of projects under development. The JV plans to control 20% of the European market by 2020.
Areva Renewable Energies CEO Louis-Francois Durret will be the chairman of Adwen. Gamesa’s offshore activities chief operating officer Luis Alvarez will serve as the general manager.
Adwen will have offices in France, Spain, the UK and Germany. It will offer the market an 8MW machine with serial production commencing in 2018.
The turbines will be manufactured at Adwen’s existing plants in Germany, Bremerhaven and Stade.
The JV will meet industrial commitments engaged by Areva and Gamesa in France and in UK, including the establishment of factories in Le Havre and the implementation of a network of suppliers and partners across the country.
Gamesa said the offshore wind installed capacity in the coastal countries of northern Europe is expected to hit more than 25GW by 2020, while in Asia it could reach 17GW.
