French Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, and Minister Delegate for Industry and Energy, Roland Lescure, visited the Chantiers de l’Atlantique site in Saint-Nazaire on May 2, 2024. They acknowledged that France was behind on offshore wind energy and emphasized the need to make significant progress in this area. The government’s industrial policy for offshore wind energy is a key component of France’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes a focus on nuclear energy, as well as renewable sources such as solar and floating wind power, with the aim of increasing the latter’s share in the national electricity mix to 20% by 2050.
During their visit to Saint-Nazaire, the ministers demonstrated the government’s confidence in this emerging technology by attending the signing of a €4.5 billion contract between RTE, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, and Japanese company Hitachi. This contract involves the supply of offshore electric platforms for two future wind farms in Oléron and Normandy. They also inaugurated a station that will power the offshore wind farm facing the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier, which is expected to supply electricity to up to 800,000 people when operational in 2025. The government aims to install multiple floating wind farms along the Normandy, Brittany, and Mediterranean coasts in the next decade to catch up with the country’s delay in this sector.
Several floating wind farms are planned to be operational in various locations along the French coast, with one already in operation off Saint-Nazaire since 2022. Additional projects are scheduled for Fécamp and Saint-Brieuc this year, followed by developments in Dieppe, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Dunkerque, Belle-Ile-en-Mer, and the Manche region in the coming years. The government has launched new tenders for offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean, including Fos-sur-Mer and Agde, with more projects planned in the English Channel and Brittany. A map of favorable offshore wind zones for the next ten years and up to 2050 will be published by the State in September.
In order to ensure competitive pricing and drive progress in the offshore wind sector, France is investing in the development of multiple floating wind projects along its coastlines. The government’s vision includes increasing the share of offshore wind power in the national electricity mix to 20% by 2050, alongside the use of nuclear and other renewable energy sources. With ambitious plans for new offshore wind farms and electrification projects, France aims to accelerate its transition to a more sustainable and carbon-neutral energy system by leveraging the potential of offshore wind technology.
