French Elevation Models

Coverage Map for French Elevation models in WindPRO - 75m model coverage with green color - other colors are higher resolution regional datasets. Black markes show turbine locations from WindPRO online databases (see here.)

Wind Farm at Issoire - showing 5m and 75m grids in inner and outer regions. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019 - and elevation data from the Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG) – 05/2019.

French National Elevation Model - 75m grid. Image showing metropolitan France. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019

French National Elevation Model - 75m grid. Image showing part of Bretagne. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019

Introduction

From april/may 2021, the French elevation models have been updated with 5m and 25m resolution data covering France and its overseas terriories: These digital terrain models DTM’s (MNT - Modèle Numérique de Terrain) are available with windPRO – three covering the whole of France in 5m, 25m and 75m grid resolution – and others from 3 selected administrative regions in high resolution: 5m grid or 10m grid resolutions. Elevation models from the French overseas territories are also available in 5m and 25m grid resolutions, see the table below. These French DTM datasets are freely available for windPRO users with an active subscription.

Dataset Overview

• Spatial Coverage:
  • Mainland France and Corsica (5m, 25m, 75m),
  • 3 regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpe, Bretagne, Nord-Pas de Calais (5m and 10m)
  • Overseas territories (5m, 25m)
• Resolution: Area-dependent: 5m, 10m, 25m, 75m (see table below)
• Data-type: Digital Terrain Model (DTM)
• Coordinate systems: Varies (see table below)
• Version: Data downloaded in spring 2019 and spring 2021.
• Vertical Accuracy: N/A

DTM datasets details for France and its overseas territories.

Id	Coverage area	Name	Grid resolution	Vertical reference
1	France Mainland and Corsica	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 – resolution 5m - Metropolitan and Corsica France MNT: IGN BD ALTI(R) Version 2.0 – resolution 25m - Metropolitan and Corsica France MNT: IGN BD ALTI(R) Version 2.0 – resolution 75m - Metropolitan and Corsica	5m 25m 75m	France: IGN69, tide gauge Marseille Corsica: IGN78, tide gauge Ajaccio	EPSG:2154 (Lambert-93)
2	Mayotte Overseas Département	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 - Mayotte	5m, 25m	REUN89	EPSG:4471 (UTM38S)
3	Réunion Overseas Département	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 - Réunion	5m, 25m	MAYO53	EPSG:2975 (UTM40S)
4	Saint Pierre and Miquelon Overseas Département	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 - Saint Pierre and Miquelon	5m, 25m	STPM50	EPSG:4467 (UTM21N)
4	Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy & Saint-Martin	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 - Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy & Saint-Martin	5m, 25m	Guadeloupe: GUAD88 Martinique: MART87 Saint-Barthélemy: GUAD88SB Saint-Martin: GUAD88SM	EPSG:32620 (UTM20)
5	French Guiana	France MNT: IGN RGE ALTI(R) Version 2.0 - French Guiana	25m		EPSG:2972
6	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes DTM/MNT Model	5m	IGN69, tide gauge Marseille	EPSG:2154 (Lambert-93)
6	Bretagne	Bretagne DTM/MNT Model	5m	IGN69, tide gauge Marseille	EPSG:2154 (Lambert-93)
6	Nord-Pas de Calais	Nord-Pas de Calais DTM/MNT Model	10m	IGN69, tide gauge Marseille	EPSG:2154 (Lambert-93)

1. National DTM/MNT Model – 5m, 25m, 75m:
These model is the version of the national elevation model of France (BD Alti). The model is released from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN). It is based on digitization of maps and stereo-imagery with data from years 1987-2001. Higher resolution models can be purchased from the IGN. Read more on BD Alti in this pdf-document (in French).

Usage Notes

• Resolution: Please consider that the 5m or 10m grid data are at a quite high resolution - so processing and downloading large areas may be slow. We recommend that you use highest resolution data in a limited area around the site (say with a boundary of a few kilometers), then merge your elevation model with coarser resolution data. This is done very easily in the 'elevation grid object'.
• Versions: Data in windPRO were accessed, downloaded and adapted for windPRO distribution during spring 2019 and spring 2021.
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes DTM/MNT Model – 5m: Elevation from five departments are available: Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Loire, Haute-Loire and Allier. Data is from 2016.
• Bretagne DTM/MNT Model: 5m resolution – with data obtained in the following years: Morbihan (2016), lle et Vilaine (2017), Côtes d'Armor (2015), Finistère (2015).
• Nord-Pas de Calais DTM/MNT Model: 10m resolution. Model was derived from stereo-imagery during years 2012-2013.

Availability from within windPRO

The data are available directly from within windPRO and may be accessed from the online-services from the following objects:

• Line Object (with purpose to height contour lines)
• Elevation Grid Object

Please note that for the 5-meter grid data - the downloaded area is limited to 20 km x 20 km to keep the files at a usable size. The data within the elevation object may be extended with coarser data if a bigger area is needed.

Attributions

These products belong to the open data of France. Please use the following attributions when using one of the datasets:

• French National DTM/MNT Model – 75m: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France - Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes DTM/MNT Model – 5m: Contains elevation data from the Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France - Bretagne DTM/MNT Model – 5m: Contains elevation data from GéoBretagne – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France – Nord-Pas de Calais – 10m: Contains elevation data from the Plateforme Publique de l'Information Géographique de la Région Nord - Pas de Calais (PPIGE) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.

Acknowledgements

• The French public, state (with IGN as its representative) and regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bretagne and Nord-Pas de Calais are thanked for producing these digital elevation datasets and disseminating them with an open-data licence - and thus aiding the development of renewable energy – and wind energy in particular.
• Integration of this dataset into EMD services was co-supported through the InnoWind project (www.innowind.dk) which is co-funded by the Danish Innovation Fund

License

Unless otherwise stated, these data have been released under the French License Ouverte / Open License – a license used for open data from the State of France. The license is designed to be compatible to be compatible with Creative Commons Licenses, Open Government License (UK) and the Open Data Commons Attribution License read pdf here. It is required that the source of information is mentioned when using these data – see above.

External Links

• Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN): http://professionnels.ign.fr
• Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG): https://www.craig.fr/
• Le partenariat GéoBretagne: https://cms.geobretagne.fr
• Equipe PPIGE Plateforme Publique de l'Information Géographique - Nord-Pas de Calais: https://www.ppige-npdc.fr/portail/geocatalogue