French Government-Backed Floating Wind Ports to Upgrade Quays, Storage Areas

The five port infrastructure projects that the French government recently announced were selected to receive a combined EUR 258.5 million in funding will prepare the country’s ports for the construction of floating wind farms, for which France has set a 2040 target of nearly 6 GW.

The funding, awarded under the France 2030 investment programme and administered by ADEME, was announced on 30 July following a call for projects launched in 2024. Marseille-Fos was awarded EUR 82.3 million, Nantes-Saint-Nazaire nearly EUR 60 million, Brest EUR 58 million, Port-la-Nouvelle EUR 48 million, and Cherbourg EUR 10.5 million. 

The programme is planned to support infrastructure for the manufacture and assembly of floating foundations and the integration of wind turbines onto the floaters. The government said the investments will primarily involve the construction or modification of quays, storage areas and access infrastructure to accommodate the large components required by floating wind projects.

The largest award, EUR 82.3 million, was allocated to the DEOS project at Marseille-Fos.

The funding will support infrastructure for the construction, launching and storage of floating foundations. The project is planned across 30 hectares of port land, with 400 metres of quay dredged to 17 metres and a further 31-hectare floating storage area.

The total investment in DEOS is estimated at EUR 303 million. The project is currently in preparation, with the port having launched a call for projects to select its first industrial occupant. The infrastructure design-and-build tender is planned for autumn 2026, followed by an environmental authorisation application towards the end of the year. Construction is currently expected to begin in early 2028, with phased deliveries between late 2029 and mid-2030.  

Nantes-Saint-Nazaire Port will receive nearly EUR 60 million for its Éole project. The central element of the project is the quay, which will be used for assembling the wind turbines onto the floating platforms. It will have a length of 530 metres, sized to accommodate projects with a capacity of approximately 500 to 600 MW per year, consistent with market trends, according to the port.

The total project cost represents an investment of over EUR 200 million.

At Brest, the InFloW project is receiving more than EUR 58 million to adapt port infrastructure for floating wind.

The project includes reinforcement and modification of quays, development of dedicated logistics areas and additional capacity for industrial activities. BrestPort plans to bring the different stages of floating wind development together at its marine renewable energy terminal, including the manufacture and assembly of floating foundations and their launch. 

Port-la-Nouvelle has been allocated EUR 48 million under the programme for its NOUVEOL project. The project aims to create a fully integrated industrial platform capable of meeting the assembly and heavy maintenance needs of future floating wind farms in the French Mediterranean by 2030. The planned developments will adapt the port to the next generation of wind turbines and support the industrial-scale deployment of the sector, the port said.

Cherbourg will receive EUR 10.5 million, which its operator, Ports de Normandie, plans to use for a new heavy-duty quay, known as Flamands 0, by extending the existing Quai des Flamands. The planned quay will be 140–160 metres long and designed for loads of 15–50 tonnes per square metre. 

The EUR 30 million project also includes moving part of the harbour breakwater, extending and strengthening the North Quay and dredging the area. Ports de Normandie said the additional heavy-duty quay will allow the port to accommodate two projects simultaneously, such as installation hubs or foundation-storage operations. The funding package comprises the now-awarded EUR 10.5 million from the government, EUR 18.1 million in revenue generated by marine renewable energy activity at Cherbourg and EUR 1.4 million from the Cotentin urban community.

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