France is set to award approximately 10 GW of offshore wind capacity through its AO9 and AO10 tenders. The process will launch in the coming months, with results expected by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
The tenders are part of a larger 12 GW renewable energy program. They will cover multiple sites and technologies under a single framework, according to a release by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty on April 2.
Through AO9, France seeks developers for a floating wind farm of 400 MW to 550 MW in South Brittany, two floating wind farms of 450 MW to 550 MW in the Mediterranean, and a fixed-bottom wind farm of 1,000 MW to 1,250 MW in the South Atlantic. Twelve companies and consortia were pre-qualified for this tender in 2024.
AO10 aims to award about 9 GW across two 2 GW projects on the eastern English Channel coast, a floating wind project of 1.2 GW or 2 GW on the North Atlantic-Western Channel, and a 2 GW project on the Mediterranean coast.
The tenders now combined will allocate approximately 5 GW each to fixed-bottom and floating technologies, spanning all French maritime areas. The Ministry stated, “With around 10 GW of combined capacity, including 5 GW of each type, France aims to lead in floating wind power development, targeting nearly 6 GW by 2040.”
France’s goal is 45 GW offshore wind capacity by 2050, meeting 20% of its electricity needs. Under its Third Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE 3), it aims for 15 GW by 2035.
The government introduces new criteria in the tender process, focusing on industrial resilience, environmental performance, and cybersecurity, alongside price. Measures will limit non-European components, especially turbines and magnets, in projects.
The Ministry of Economy noted, “For the first time, supply resilience criteria from the European Net Zero Industry Act are included to maximize industrial benefits.” The design aims to keep average tariffs below €100/MWh.
Besides offshore wind, France will tender approximately 2 GW for other renewable technologies, like solar PV and onshore wind, totaling around 12 GW across all renewable energy tenders.
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