One of Redon’s long-running factories, AFC Redon, has taken the plunge on offshore wind and is now channelling its expertise in manufacturing cast iron parts into the protection of subsea cables in the offshore wind farms of Saint-Nazaire and Yeu-Noirmoutier in France.
AFC Redon, a forerunner in the French casting industry
Between land and sea. That’s AFC Redon in a nutshell. We cannot talk about AFC Redon without conjuring up a vision of Brittany’s industrial past. Established in 1947, in the wake of the Second World War, Armoricaine de Fonderie le Châtelet has stood the test of time, today achieving a €72 million turnover and an annual production of 30,000 tonnes of parts. With 270 employees, this gem of Breton manufacturing quickly asserted itself as a mainstay in the industry by becoming one of the first foundries in France to be granted a licence to produce ductile iron, initially for farming machinery.
Thanks to the spheroidal shape of its graphite, ductile cast iron is more versatile in terms of shape and is more robust than other types of cast iron. These characteristics are highly sought after by automobile manufacturers for safety parts (braking systems, steering, suspension…).
A springboard for breaking into the offshore wind sector
In recent years, AFC Redon, now part of the La Fonte Ardennaise group (since 2006), has broadened its scope. In 2020, the company was selected to supply cast iron shells to protect the subsea cables in the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm. “We had already been producing this type of shell for a few years. These parts protect the cable against impact damage but more importantly in relation to its curvature. In the case of overbending, damage can be caused to the cable”, explains Julien Fauvergue, methods engineer, industrialisation manager and project leader for the Saint-Nazaire wind farm project. The teams at AFC Redon manufactured the shells which protect the 105 km of power cables located 12 to 20 km off the French Loire-Atlantique coast.
In addition to its expertise, the company also had a solid argument to back up its entry into the offshore wind market: its location. Redon is located around 50 km from Saint-Nazaire, France. This choice echoes the work of Bretagne Ocean Power and other regional clusters to encourage offshore wind project leaders and their tier 1 suppliers to prioritise local content in subcontracting through a specific charter.
With the Saint-Nazaire wind farm now in operation, AFC Redon went on to be selected to protect the cables for the 62 turbines in the Yeu-Noirmoutier offshore wind farm, set to be commissioned in 2025. “Offshore wind brought AFC Redon an opportunity to expand into a new sector”, explains Sales Manager Grégory Robert. Factory Manager Pascal Pégé adds: “These offshore wind projects were the chance for us to diversify but also to meet global expectations, as well as those of our employees, who are keen for the company to become involved in environmental protection issues.”
