TotalEnergies Advances US$5 Billion Offshore Wind Farm in France

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

TotalEnergies is seeking permission to build a 1.5-gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm off Normandy that would be the largest renewable energy project in France.

Multibillion-euro Project

TotalEnergies has applied to build the 1.5-gigawatt (GW) Centre Manche II wind farm off the coast of Normandy at a cost of 4.5 billion euro (US$5.2 billion). 

France's Biggest Wind Farm

The company's application for Single Authorization comes just eight months after it was awarded the government tender for what will be France's largest renewable energy project on completion. With a total capacity of 1.5 GW, it will power more than 1 million households when commissioned in 2033, TotalEnergies stated. It is also the company's largest energy investment in France for more than 30 years. 

The winning bid from TotalEnergies and RWE came in at 66 euro (US$77) per megawatt hour (MWh), which would make offshore wind the cheapest form of power generation in France. RWE has since left the project. The country already benefits from some of Europe's lowest electricity prices due to its fleet of more than 50 nuclear reactors. France has ambitious offshore wind targets and according to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 28 offshore wind farm projects in the pipeline worth nearly US$73 billion in investment. Readers of the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can view the reports. 

"We are delighted to have filed for authorization and to have reached this major milestone for Centre Manche Energies," said Thierry Muller, project director for project company Centre Manche Energies. "We intend to continue developing this competitive, value-creating project for Normandy, which will provide renewable electricity to nearly one million French homes".

Offshore Wind in France

France has set an ambitious target of 45 GW offshore wind capacity by 2050, equivalent to 20% ​​of the country's electricity needs. The country has 1.6 GW of operational offshore wind capacity today, with another 1.5 GW under construction. In the interim, the government's Third Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE 3) wants an installed capacity of 15 GW by 2035, lowered from an earlier target of 18 GW to reflect "the industrial realities of the sector and infrastructure and grid connection needs." It will award a total of 10 GW of offshore wind capacity this summer through its next two wind auctions, AO9 and AO10, which are being combined into one. It will open to bidders in the coming months, with the winners to be announced by the end of 2026 or early 2027. 

"With a combined capacity of approximately 10 GW, including 5 GW of fixed-bottom and 5 GW of floating wind power, distributed across all its maritime coastlines, France aims to become a world leader in the development of floating wind power, with a target of nearly 6 GW by 2040", stated the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty in April. 

TotalEnergies & Offshore Wind

TotalEnergies' portfolio in offshore wind has a total generating capacity of 25 GW, with most wind farms using bottom-fixed turbines. These projects are located in the U.K (Seagreen, Outer Dowsing, West of Orkney, Erebus), South Korea (Bada), Taiwan (Yunlin, Haiding 2), France (Eolmed and Centre Manche 2), the U.S. (Attentive Energy and Carolina Long Bay), the Netherlands (OranjeWind) and Germany (Nordsee Energies 1, 2 & 3, Ostsee Energies, WindBostel Ost et West).

Key Takeaways

• TotalEnergies is aiming to build France's largest offshore wind farm, the 1.5-gigawatt (GW) Centre Manche II wind farm off the coast of Normandy.
• It will be the largest renewable energy project in France.
• Industrial Info Resources is tracking 28 offshore wind farm projects in France worth more than US$73 billion in investment. 

About Industrial Info Resources
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, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).