France Presents Plan for 15 GW of Offshore Wind in 10 Years

 

On Friday, the Energy Minister Olga Givernet and Minister for the Sea and Fisheries Fabrice Loher gave an update on the government's plans to harness offshore wind. The two ministers announced that 15 GW of offshore wind projects are in the pipeline over the next 10 years. This puts France on track to become carbon neutral by 2050. As part of implementing this ambition, within the next several months France will launch tenders for two fixed and three floating wind farms totaling 9.2 GW.

“The new installations are part of national plans to have 45GW [of green power] by 2050. This is a signal for the industrial value chain, to tell them it’s not the moment to de-localize or draw up layoff plans,” said Givernet.

Some of the key maritime zones identified for offshore wind development include the English Channel and North Sea, Brittany and North Atlantic. However, special focus has been given to the Mediterranean region. The government is planning to produce 1.5 GW of offshore wind in this region by 2025 through two floating wind farms.

Offshore wind ports are also planned in the Mediterranean area. For instance, the Occitania region has pledged to invest over $360 million to refurbish ports in Sète and Port-la-nouvelle, turning them into hubs for construction, logistics and support for floating offshore wind farms.

Most importantly, the government has set a bold target of 50 percent local content in support of the domestic offshore wind supply chain. This comes amid reports that GE Vernova, a major global wind turbines manufacturer, is scaling back its operations in France. Unfortunately, this will involve downsizing its workforce, with as many as 900 jobs on the line.