麻豆传媒映画

French environmental agencies and campaigners have welcomed the decision to pause operations at a windfarm in the south of France after up to 300 protected birds were killed by the turbines鈥� blades.

A court in Montpellier has ordered the shutdown of the 31 wind turbines at the Aumelas wind farm (H茅rault, Occitanie) for four months, to protect the lesser kestrel (faucon cr茅cerellette). The bird is expected to be around the turbines during this time.

It is protected as it is at risk of extinction. Between 150-300 birds are thought to have been killed as a result of the windfarm鈥檚 operation. The birds regularly crash into the blades, despite the deterrent measures in place, including an electronic 鈥榮care system鈥�.

Energy company fines

At an initial hearing held in December, the public prosecutor had requested a fine of 鈧�750,000 for each of these companies, a six-month suspended prison sentence, and a fine of 鈧�150,000 against Bruno Bensasson - chief executive officer of EDF 脡nergies Nouvelles - as well as a suspension of the wind farm's activity.

In the event, the Montpellier court ordered a fine of 鈧�500,000 for each of the 10 companies that manage the windfarm. This includes EDF and multiple subsidiaries, which were found liable for the death of 160 protected birds.

The companies will also have to pay a total of 鈧�114,000 to France Nature Environnement Occitanie-M茅diterran茅e, the same amount to its parent company, FNE, plus 鈧�74,087, as compensation for ecological damage, in support of the (national plan for the conservation of the lesser kestrel).

鈥淲e are pleased to see that the courts are prioritising the protection of these species for four months by stopping the exploitation of the park,鈥� said Simon Popy, president of France Nature Environnement Occitanie-M茅diterran茅e.

He claimed that when 鈥渇aced with this destruction鈥�, EDF and its subsidiaries 鈥渄id absolutely nothing to limit it鈥�. 

鈥淲e first advocated action before the civil court鈥�(saying) in 2021 that its behaviour was criminal and could constitute an offence,鈥� he said. 

鈥淚 think that with this court decision there is a desire to punish a group strategy that consisted of disregarding environmental law and making a mockery of the environmental impacts of wind turbine operation.鈥�

Other cases

The court is now set to hand down a decision on another windfarm, this time in Bernagues (also H茅rault). The decision is expected tomorrow (April 9).

It comes after the Versailles Court of Appeal had already found EDF and its subsidiaries guilty in 2021 for the death of 28 lesser kestrels 鈥渄ue to collisions with the wind turbines鈥� at the same Aumelas wind farm. 

Under a European directive any destruction of these protected species is illegal, except in the case of an explicit exemption from the prefect. However, EDF has not requested any exemption. France Nature Environnement believes that EDF is 鈥減laying for time鈥�, as it is not at all certain of obtaining the exemption.

France and windfarms

Windfarms first came online in France in the early 2000s. 

There are currently around 10,000 wind turbines in France, most of them on land, spread across 2,400 wind farms. More than half of these are in Hauts-de-France and Grand Est, while the remainder are in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Centre-Val de Loire, and Occitanie.

There are three offshore windfarms, with 200 turbines. These are off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Brieuc, and F茅camp.

Windfarms are the third-biggest source of energy in France (after nuclear and water, but ahead of solar panels and gas). In 2024, wind power generation amounted to almost 50 terawatts/hour, which represents more than 10% of total household electricity consumption, network manager RTE.

France is now the third-biggest windfarm energy producer in the European Union, behind Germany and Spain.

France has committed to having 40% of its electricity production come from renewable sources by 2030. Some 95% of the electricity produced in France comes from renewable and nuclear sources.