The change in timing was revealed by Areva Renouvelables president Louis-François Durret. Commissioning had previously been expected to be completed by Q4 next year.
The onshore prototype will be built at Bremerhaven. At one stage, this had been slated for Drochtersen, near Areva's blade factory in Germany, but the local authority declined the project proposal.
Areva was keen that the offshore prototype will be in French waters. The company is strongly supportive of moves to create a test site 6 kilometres off Veulettes-sur-Mer, on the site originally awarded to Enertrag's 105MW project, which was never built.
Durret said it was important to install the offshore prototype near Areva's manufacturing base at Le Havre.
Serial production of the turbine will start in 2018 for the St-Brieuc plant, assuming the government approves the upgrade from Areva's 5MW turbine, and in 2020 for projects at Le Tréport and the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier.
