Neutral
Informational - no clear directional impact
Low Impact
Minor progress or informational
On Friday 23 May 2025, the first two of four large power transformers arrived at the Port of Brest after a multimodal journey of several weeks from Siemens Energy's Austrian factory. Each unit weighs 232 tonnes and measures 46 metres in length, requiring exceptional road convoys travelling overnight to the Ar Merzher converter station at La Martyre in Finistère, Brittany. Unloading and assembly of these first two transformers commenced on 28 May 2025, with the remaining two units following the same route in early June 2025. The transformers step up the 320 kV HVDC link voltage to integrate with the existing 400 kV French transmission grid via the adjacent La Martyre substation. Convoy logistics were tightly choreographed (46 m long, 232 tonnes per unit) with strict traffic-management protocols. The arrival marked a major equipment milestone for the French converter station, preceding equipment installation and commissioning through 2026-2028. This is the French-side counterpart to the four Siemens Energy transformers (240 tonnes each) delivered to the Irish Ballyadam converter station in November 2025.