France Urged to Set 5GW by 2030 Floating Wind Goal

Six floating wind companies have called on the French Government to include up to 5GW of floating wind capacity in the country’s revised multiannual energy program, to be brought online by 2030. 

Eolfi, Ideol, Naval Energies, Principle Power, Quadran Energies Marines and SBM Offshore request that the government adds the 5GW floating wind goal into the 2019-2023 Programmation Pluriannuelle de l’Energie (PPE).

The revision of the PPE, a document that sets multi-annual national energy targets, is expected to be published by the end of the year.

An initial volume of up to 750MW should be awarded in 2019 in order to start the cost-lowering procedure expected to lead to EUR 60 per MWh by 2030, the companies stated.

The six parties also suggest that the capacity is equally distributed in the Régions Sud, Occitanie and Bretagne regions.

In case the tenders are not launched next year, the current dynamics of the French market would be interrupted, which would result in a pause and uncertainty for all market participants, Ideol believes.

According to the France-based company, postponing the tenders would induce a slowdown or even a halt in specific investment programs, as well as a missed opportunity to take the lead in the floating wind sector.

France received its first offshore wind power from the Floatgen floating wind turbine in September. So far, the country approved four floating wind pilot projects with a combined capacity of just below 100MW. Three are located in the Mediterranean, with the commissioning expected throughout 2020 and 2021.