France will fail to meet its offshore wind installation target unless it streamlines permitting and creates a more favourable investment climate, according to new research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Despite carrying out numerous tenders since 2011, France has just 1.5 GW of operational offshore wind.
The study finds that unless it accelerates deployment, France might only have 3 GW of operational offshore wind by 2032, leaving it off track to achieve the government’s target of 18 GW by 2035.
This means the technology would play a limited role in replacing nuclear reactors due to be decommissioned, the study outlines.
“A combination of complex permitting, legal challenges and focus on nuclear power have held back offshore wind development in France. There is a lack of political and financial support for offshore wind in France, which has struggled to provide the same level of certainty for investors as many other European countries,” said Jonathan Bruegel , an IEEFA power sector analyst and author of the research.
The research calls on France to urgently streamline offshore wind licensing and shorten the timeframe for legal challenges to projects awarded in tenders.
The report found that policy support for nuclear power has diverted financial resources away from renewables, potentially jeopardising the country’s energy security.
IEEFA recommends the development of a nuclear phase-down plan with offshore wind as a pillar. When ageing nuclear plants are phased out, the government should create a structured transition plan that prioritises offshore wind and other renewables, according to the institute.
It also recommends for France’s transmission system operator to develop a modernised and more flexible grid that can handle intermittent renewables.
Additionally, the organisation said that the country should reform market regulations and diversify energy investments, making offshore wind projects more attractive to investors through stable policies and incentives.
Currently, France has three operational offshore wind farms. The country’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, Saint-Nazaire , was commissioned in 2022, ten years after operator EDF won the tender. It features 80 turbines with a total capacity of 480 MW.
Fécamp wind farm off the northwest coast was inaugurated in May 2024. It has 71 turbines and a total capacity of 497 MW.
The third project, Saint-Brieuc in Brittany, was inaugurated in September 2024, with 62 turbines and a combined capacity of 496 MW.
Three additional wind farms, totalling 1.5 GW, are in the early stages of construction and are not expected to be commissioned before 2026, according to the study.
France recently launched a consultation on proposals for the country’s tenth offshore wind call for tenders (AO10), which is expected to award around 9 GW of capacity. The projects are anticipated to commence operations by 2035.
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