Big-name contenders revealed for multi-gigawatt French floating wind tender
France has stepped up the pace and the scale of offshore wind tendering, and could take a leading position for floating capacity if plans come to fruition
Twelve potential bidders have pre-qualified for France’s ninth offshore wind tender, which will offer up to 2.9GW of floating offshore wind capacity on four sites positioned as extensions to four previous tenders.
There has been a marked increase in the scale and speed of France’s offshore wind tendering process over the last year or so.
The AO9 tender will include two sites designated for development in the Mediterranean, another off South Brittany, and one more off the country’s southern Atlantic coast.
France's A09 tender contenders
The prequalified companies and consortiums are:
Baywa r.e.
Elicio/Q Energy/Kansai Electric Co
EnBW
Les Eoliennes du Grand Large (EDF/Maple Power)
Iberdrola
Ocean Winds/Banque des Territoires
Oxan Energy/Ingka Investments
Eni Plenitude/Qair Group
Parkwind
RWE
Skyborn Renewables/Octopus Energy
TotalEnergies
The areas on offer were given the following ranges:
Narbonnaise 2 (Med) extension of AO6 (96km2) — 450-550MW
Golfe de Fos 2 (Med) extension of AO6 (103km2) — 450-550MW
South Brittany 2 extension of AO5 (225km2) — 400-550MW
Oleron 2 (Atlantic) extension of AO7 (250km2) — 1-1.3GW
With pre-qualification done, the AO9 process now moves to a phase of competitive dialogue and project proposals, ahead of a one-stop bidding process that includes seabed lease, contract for difference and a grid connection guaranteed by French transmission operator TSO, with cost-support through a subsidised consumer tariff (TURPE).
France so far has 1.4GW of offshore wind capacity installed and 4.25GW of projects awarded. Three of these, totalling 1.3GW, are under construction.
Wind power accounted for more than 10% of French electricity production for the first time in 2023.
With this France aims to develop between 8.4GW and 9.2GW of offshore wind capacity, covering two fixed-bottom and three floating offshore wind farms on locations off the coast of Fecamp in northwestern France, as well as the waters near Brittany, the Gulf of Biscay and the southern Mediterranean coast.
French authorities also made it clear that they intend to have 18GW of offshore wind capacity operational by 2035 and 45GW by 2050.
The French government published a long-delayed maritime spatial planning and offshore wind zoning document in October
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