The French government has unveiled its intention to launch the tenth call for tenders (AO10) for the development of offshore wind farms, targeting a total capacity between 8 GW and 10 GW. The process is expected to begin in the coming months, with the objective of awarding contracts by the fall of 2026.
The tenders are set to be issued for two fixed-bottom and three floating offshore wind farms, which are planned to be located off the coast of Fécamp in northwestern France, as well as in the waters surrounding Brittany, the western Gulf of Biscay, and the southern Mediterranean coast.
Offshore studies will be conducted by the state in these areas from this fall, according to the energy ministry.
This call for tenders should make it possible to achieve the objective of 18 GW in service in 2035, said the French energy ministry.
Energy Minister Olga Givernet said that these plans are part of an overall goal of reaching 45 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050, which is expected to account for 20 per cent of the country’s total energy production.
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“As the President of the Republic recalled at the Assises de la mer last November, we have set ourselves the objective of reaching 45 GW of offshore wind by 2050: this new stage of the public debate is part of this. I welcome the strong mobilization of citizens and local stakeholders around this debate, which has made it possible to give visibility to all aspects of offshore wind planning, including the crucial ones of preserving marine environments”, said Agnès Pannier-Runacher , Minister of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention.
“This exercise has made it possible to identify areas on our various maritime facades to allocate around 15 GW over the next 10 years: it will enable us to reach a milestone in the decarbonization of our energy mix in the years to come.”
Currently, France has three operational offshore wind farms, with the most recent addition being the 496 MW Saint-Brieuc project. The wind farm is the second largest in the nation and the first to be built in Brittany.
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