French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted to double the speed of renewable energy projects in France after opening a wind park that took more than a decade to build.
“This is a happy day in difficult times,” said Mr Macron after taking a boat ride to the offshore Saint-Nazaire site.
But he added: “This took more than 10 years. That cannot be entirely satisfactory. We have to reduce delays.”
The offshore wind farm is France's first, but Mr Macron has set a goal of building 50 by mid-century to enable a huge expansion of domestic electricity production.
France has long relied on its large fleet of nuclear power stations to produce electricity, but many have been down for maintenance in recent months, exacerbating the energy crisis linked to the war in Ukraine.
A draft bill to be presented to the Cabinet next month would aim to speed up future renewable projects by dealing with local objections more quickly and connecting them to the grid as soon as they are ready.
“We need a massive acceleration,” Mr Macron said. “I want us to go at least twice as fast for renewable energy projects. Our neighbours often managed to do more, better and, above all, faster.”
Addressing the Russian gas cuts that have led to high prices across Europe, he said: “For the first time, energy has become a weapon of war.”
France aims to offset the shortages with a plan for “energy sobriety” that aims to reduce consumption of gas and electricity by 10 per cent over the next two years.
Mr Macron announced backing in February for a new generation of nuclear power plants, and electricity company EDF aims to restart most of its existing reactors by the end of December.
In the longer run, the new measures aim to reduce delays in building offshore wind farms from 10 to 12 years now, to about six years, and large solar farms from six years to three years, Mr Macron said.
The new wind park has 80 turbines and is located 12 kilometres off the coast of Brittany. Mr Macron was meant to formally open it on September 5 but was forced to reschedule due to bad weather.
The construction schedule also slipped back after former president Nicolas Sarkozy visited Saint-Nazaire in 2011 and said the wind farm would be up and running by 2020.
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
