SMM Composites contributes to the relocation of wind energy in France

SMM Composites, the Breton specialist in large-format composite moulds, celebrated its 40th anniversary last October under the banner of strategic and technological renewal.

The company is continuing along the same path in 2025. It has just announced its collaboration with Poweend, based in Prouvy in northern France (59), which develops its wind farms to supply industrial companies and business parks, and operates them. The company was created in 2020 when Octave Klaba, founder of OVHcloud, bought DDIS, an engineering company based in the north of France that specialised in the creation of wind turbines.

To offer local, competitive, low-carbon energy, Poweend turned to SMM to design its Eole5 wind turbine moulds, which it now manufactures in Carvin in the Hauts-de-France region. Formerly produced in Asia, the blades of the 1 MW wind turbines are now part of a process of reindustrialisation and support for employment. “This project is a perfect illustration of our desire to build solid partnerships with French players whose values of innovation and responsibility we share. Thanks to partners like SMM Composites, we are moving towards a future in which local, renewable energy becomes a reality for businesses of all sizes,” said Guillaume Verdonck, Managing Director of Poweend.

Innovative moulds for mass production

SMM Composites has drawn on its expertise in the production of large composite moulds, in particular using mechanised welding, infusion and the integration of heating systems, to develop a set of six moulds, including the one for the outer shell of the blade, of very large dimensions, incorporating a complex turning system, a heating device and recycled fibre, a first for the company.

Currently producing one blade a month, Poweend hopes to gradually ramp up production, aiming for two blades a week within three years. By 2030, the aim is to have 100 wind turbines in service.

Thanks to this contract, SMM Composites is already exploring new avenues of work with the wind energy sector, as well as the gradual integration of recycled materials and the adoption of robotised production techniques. “The collaborative work with the Poweend teams and their partners has enabled us to manufacture an innovative “made in France” blade mould that is even more carbon-free. We are delighted to be actively contributing to the development of local and more desirable wind energy in France“, said Olivier Kerdoncuff, Chairman of SMM Composites. In November 2024, he unveiled his latest investment, a 5 x 2 x 1.2 metre LSAM (Large Scale Additive Manufacturing) 3D printing machine and its machining centre for large parts.