France Launches Major Offshore Wind Drive

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--France is ramping up efforts to grow its offshore wind sector by launching a tender for four offshore projects with a combined generating capacity of 2.5 gigawatts (GW).

The government's Economy and Finance Minister Bruno le Maire announced the tenders while visiting Saint Nazaire, home to the country's first operational offshore windfarm. They cover a 500-megawatt (MW) project in south Brittany, two more 500-MW projects in the Mediterranean and a 1-GW project in Oleron, on the southwest coast. Le Maire said that other tenders topping 10 GW are forthcoming, with locations due to be announced in September followed by tendering in Autumn 2026. To date, state-owned Electricite de France (EDF) (Paris, France) has won most of the tenders but a new clause will limit the number of projects that can be won by a single supplier to increase competition.

The latest tenders form part of the government's pledge to deploy 18 GW in 2035 and 45 GW in 2050--up from a previous goal of 40 GW. This would represent more than 20% of the country's electricity demand. France also wants to ensure that half the equipment used comes from European firms, part of a European-wide drive to reinvigorate its own wind industry manufacturing sector in the face of dominant imports from China. In recent weeks, Industrial Info reported that the European Commission (EC) was launching a probe into suspected illegal subsidies provided to Chinese wind turbine producers by its government. For additional information, see April 23, 2024, article - Europe To Investigate 'Cheap' Chinese Windfarm Projects.

Industrial Info is tracking 21 French offshore wind projects worth a potential US$45 billion. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports.

France has been slower than most of the other major European nations in adopting offshore wind. It took more than decade to get the Saint Nazaire offshore project approved and constructed in the face of protests, legal challenges and other delays. Rising costs and production holdups in the European wind sector are also impacting current and future French projects. "We are starting seriously late when it comes to offshore wind power," Le Maire said during his visit to Saint Nazaire. "When I compare it to other major European nations, it's a bit of a tragedy that in France we discuss, we debate, and we have a little difficulty in deciding and moving forward."

He added: "We can already count on six offshore windfarms: three in Normandy: Fécamp, Courseulles-sur-mer, Dieppe-Le Tréport, and one each at Saint Brieuc, Saint Nazaire and off the Ile d'Yeu-Noirmoutier. Three of these parks are already connected to the network and three others are in the process of being connected, at Courseulles-sur-mer, Dieppe-Le Tréport and Yeu-Noirmoutier for a total of 3 GW of capacity. Also, a winner has been chosen for France's first commercial floating wind farm, located off the coast of Belle-Île-en-mer. This is an important project because this park, with a power of 250 MW, will produce electricity corresponding to the consumption of 450,000 inhabitants. This project will also show the competitiveness of the sector, with a price which will be much lower than the ceiling price of 140 euro per megawatt hour (MWh)."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).