France Releases Details for a Mega 11-Project 10 GW Offshore Wind Tender

French offshore wind farm FeCamp — Fecamp launched in 2024 was among France's largest wind farms to date while TotalEnergies is now developing a massive 1.5 GW project near Le Havre (Fecamp)

The French government is set to release the specifications for its next offshore wind tender, which seeks to develop 11 projects spanning each of France’s water borders and achieve 10 GW of capacity. The Ministry of Energy is calling it one of the largest offshore wind development programs ever undertaken in Europe.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) will release the specifications on June 12, detailing five fixed bottom projects to provide 5 GW and an additional 5 GW from five floating wind farms that can be placed further from shore. It notes that the tender, which has been delayed since 2024, combines its ninth and tenth rounds to AO10, which “truly marks a change of scale.”

France currently has approximately 2 GW of installed offshore wind energy capacity. The government’s goal is to reach 15 GW by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050. In addition to the installed capacity, 4.8 GW is currently in the development pipeline.

Preliminary map showing the scope of the projects proposed for AO10 (CRE)

“The development of offshore wind power is one of the pillars of France’s energy and climate strategy,” said the Energy Ministry. It notes that the program is designed to ensure energy availability at a controlled cost and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Its goal is to ensure France’s energy sovereignty.

The tender aims to establish a weighted average price of €100 per MWh. Observers note it is significantly above the €66 per MWh awarded to TotalEnergies in the last fixed-bottom tender, but below the anticipated cost of projects using less developed technologies.

Companies will have four months to submit their proposals to CRE. It will analyze the bids and issue its opinion by the beginning of 2027.

One new element added to the tender process is scoring for projects that favor European manufacturers and minimize the use of components sourced from China. It will give the highest scores to projects using French manufacturers and suppliers, and also consider the promotion of low-carbon projects.

The Ministry for Energy is expected to award contracts in February 2027.