Inauguration of the wind farm Gruey-lès-Surance

Samedi 05 Octobre 2024 à 18h00

The inauguration of the "Lunaires" and "Fuchsias" wind farms took place on Saturday 5 October 2024, in the presence of many local people. With a total capacity of 17.6 megawatts, these 8 wind turbines are part of the objectives of the Grand Est region. They are also part of a partnership with SEM Terr'EnR.

Nearly 180 people attended the event, which was entertained by the brass band of the "agglomeration d'Epinal". After the speeches, Tania Monier, under the direction of Benoit Brume, performed a spectacular demonstration of high-lining between two wind turbines.

Parc éolien

Our colleague Manon Hutin, who developed the project, shared her emotion and pride: "This is an emblematic project for the Vosges and for H2air, a long-term project driven by the common commitment of a community, Gruey-lès-Surance and the Vosges, and H2air. (...) Seven of the eight wind turbines are located on communal territory.

The mayor of Gruey-lès-Surance, Marie-Odile Beurné, said she was "proud of this beautiful wind farm. It's a good thing to have wind turbines for our planet.' Not only do they provide local electricity, but they also allow us to invest in the quality of life in the community.

Michel Heinrich, President of the "agglomeration of Epinal" and Chairman of the semi-public company Terr'EnR, pointed out that "the SEM ensures a fairer distribution of income by involving the public". The wind farm has been divided in two to isolate 2 of the 8 wind turbines, which will become part of the local community. (...) In this context, I'd like to thank Roy Mahfouz, founder and chairman of H2air, who has been completely open and supportive of this innovative model and who, together with his team, has put all the necessary resources into making this partnership a reality.

Véronique Marcot, vice-president of the Vosges departmental council, congratulated the mayor. "This park is well ahead of where we need to be, long before the APER law. (...) The Vosges département supports this type of operation. We are all committed to this necessary energy transition. We're aware that we're ahead of the game in this area.

Sylvie d'Alguerre, regional councillor, said: "The Grand Est region wanted to demonstrate the importance of this project through our presence. (...) Wind power helps to diversify the energy mix, provides security of supply and creates jobs that cannot be relocated. Wind energy is a good thing and it doesn't hurt to remind people of this (...) Beyond the technical aspects, there are values that you share with the community of Gruey-lès-Surance.

Our founder-chairman Roy Mahfouz said: ‘You've said it all, why we're installing wind turbines, the advantages, a question of energy independence and a major economic issue. France currently imports 80 billion tonnes of fossil fuels. Wind energy is part of the country's energy shield. (...) ' Roy also thanked the SEM: 'On our own we're very fast, but together we can go much further! We're proud of this partnership! We'll continue to operate these wind turbines together, and we'll also sell the electricity to this department.

Anne Carli, secretary general of the Vosges prefecture, closed the speeches by saluting 'ten years of perseverance'. 'You have shown everyone that the French energy landscape could become our new model, our new benchmark. For ten years, you have been able to build a consensus around this project, the best proof of which is that there has been no appeal against its approval. This is rare enough to deserve special mention. (...) H2air describes itself as a producer of peaceful energy, and that's very strong. (...) Anyone interested in energy diplomacy knows that this is the challenge of the 21st century. (...) Every wind farm inaugurated, accompanied, protects our sovereignty, protects our population".