The French government issued a call for tenders notice in the Official Journal of the European Union on June 11, 2026, initiating the process to award development rights for eleven offshore wind projects, comprising seven floating and four fixed-bottom, totaling over 10 GW.
The tender involves offshore wind sites located off the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, in the South Atlantic, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
The project areas and planned installed capacities include:
- Fécamp Grand Large: three fixed-bottom projects, each with a capacity of 1.35 GW
- Bretagne Nord Ouest: a 1.2 GW floating wind farm
- Bretagne Sud 2: a 500 MW floating wind farm
- Oléron 1: a 1.2 GW fixed-bottom offshore wind farm
- Narbonnaise Sud Hérault 2: a 500 MW floating wind farm
- Golfe du Lion Centre: one 1.1 GW and two 550 MW floating wind farms
- Golfe de Fos 2: one 500 MW floating wind farm
The deadline for tenders is October 12, 2026. The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) notes that developers can submit information requests until July 19.
The French government announced the aim to award around 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by combining AO9 and AO10 tenders, with results expected by late 2026 or early 2027.
New tender criteria include industrial resilience, environmental performance, and cybersecurity, which will be considered alongside price in bid evaluations.
France targets 45 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050, fulfilling 20% of the country’s electricity needs. Under the Third Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE 3), the goal is 15 GW by 2035.
“With approximately 10 GW capacity, including 5 GW each of fixed-bottom and floating wind power across all maritime coastlines, France aims for leadership in floating wind power, targeting nearly 6 GW by 2040,” the Ministry announced on April 2.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz