Based in La Forêt-Fouesnant (Finistère), setec énergie environnement, with its brand setecinvivo, is specialized in studying marine biodiversity, implementing monitoring and conducting marine environmental studies. The company has been selected by the Pennavel consortium to conduct environmental impact studies for the floating offshore wind farm project in South Brittany. We talked to setecinvivo brand director Philippe Bornens.
Can you tell us about setec énergie environnement and the setecinvivo brand?
Setec énergie environnement is the energy and environment subsidiary of the independent group setec, a leading French engineering firm. The subsidiary has around 150 employees, with 46 working for the setecinvivo brand which is recognised for its expertise in marine environmental studies. Setec énergie environnement is based across seven locations, with two of these sites used by the setecinvivo brand, one in La Forêt-Fouesnant, where the company In Vivo was originally headquartered before joining Setec in 2016, and a second in Toulon. Setec énergie environnement also has bases in Paris (headquarters), Nantes, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Lille.
What services does the setecinvivo brand offer?
It focuses on three areas. First, the study of marine biodiversity, the brand’s keystone. We get involved in projects at a very early stage and continue to support them during the construction and operation phases, carrying out inventories across all the biological and physical compartments of the marine environment. Secondly, we conduct environmental impact studies, the linchpin of project applications (in coastal areas, ports, offshore, etc.), which are built on a comprehensive analysis of the project’s interactions with its environment. The third focus is environmental monitoring, which consists in acquiring and exploiting data from the marine environment, using hydrographic and oceanographic instrumental techniques. We carry out monitoring at various stages throughout a project (prior to regulatory studies, during the construction phase, once the project is in operation or as part of more general environmental monitoring).
Can you bring us up to speed on the history behind your work in offshore renewable energy?
We have been working on all different environmental topics relating to offshore renewable energy since 2000. As experts with a wide range of skills in marine sciences, we have bid in virtually every French call for tenders over the last 20 years. The study conducted for the offshore wind farm project in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, led by Ailes Marines, really marked a turning point for our consultancy. In 2012, we carried out an initial environmental assessment, followed by a baseline assessment six years ago. We then continued to monitor the environment during the construction phase and, from 2023, during the operational phase of the 496 MW installed capacity wind farm. The studies carried out at sea by our teams cover a wide variety of environmental compartments, focusing for instance on the quality of marine sediment, the physico-chemical parameters of the water, rocky and sandy habitats or fishery resources.
How did you end up working with the Pennavel consortium for the AO5 tender?
While many candidates consulted us ahead of the call, we were first in contact with the Pennavel consortium just shortly before they were awarded the tender. Through our discussions, notably based on our experience with the Saint-Brieuc wind farm, it quickly became clear that we were on a good footing to support them. At the time, we were also finalising the initial study for the AO5 wind farm for the French Directorate-General for Energy and Climate (DGEC). As we were already working on site, we were very well placed to continue working towards the future of this wind farm. The data we have been compiling for over two years, both from the literature and the field, means that we are not starting from scratch.
“A very Breton network”
Through your various projects, have you had the chance to work with Breton companies?
We have a track record of striving to work with companies based in Brittany, in particular with Actimar, which specialises in oceanographic modelling, for the Saint-Brieuc project. We have also worked with Hytech Imaging, based in Plouzané, specialised in the acquisition of aerial and satellite imagery, and we are also working on underwater acoustics with Quiet-Oceans, also based in Plouzané. It is thanks to the support of many local stakeholders such as Bretagne Ocean Power that we are now working on the Pennavel project.
Would you say that Brittany is an ideal region for working in offshore renewable energy?
Brittany has a strong maritime culture, naturally making it a prime region for offshore renewable energies. Thanks to our base in La Forêt-Fouesnant, we are ideally located within range of both the Channel and the Atlantic coast. If we had been based in Caen or Bordeaux, it would no doubt have been more challenging!
