France announced Wednesday the awarding of its first commercial floating offshore wind farm to a Belgian-German consortium, tasked with constructing this site in southern Brittany, a global first at this scale for the still emerging floating technology.
Pennavel, a company jointly owned by the Belgian firm Elicio and the German BayWa r.e., emerged as the winner of the project tender, as per the Ministry of Economy, noting that “this marks the world’s first commercial floating wind farm to be awarded a feed-in tariff.”
Unlike “fixed” wind turbines, where the mast is anchored into the seabed, “floating” turbines, mainly at this stage pilot sites, allow installation in deep waters.
This 250-megawatt (MW) project, expected to be operational by 2031, 19 km west of Belle-Ile-en-Mer and 33 km from Quiberon, will cover the electricity needs of around 450,000 inhabitants. The park will comprise a maximum of 13 turbines over 45 km2.
The tariff proposed by this newcomer consortium in French offshore wind energy amounts to 86.45 euros/MWh, a highly competitive offer according to the government, which will guarantee this feed-in tariff for 20 years.
“With a feed-in tariff awarded at 86.45 EUR/MWh, the offshore wind industry no longer needs to prove its competitiveness,” highlighted Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire. For the ministry, “this tariff confirms France’s leadership position in the development of floating technology.”
In France, three pilot farms (each between 25 and 30 MW) are under construction in the Mediterranean, expected to be operational between 2024 and 2025.
According to the professional association WindEurope, the continent, a pioneer in offshore wind, currently has four operational floating sites, two in Scotland, one in Norway, and a fourth in Portugal. However, their total capacity remains at 200 MW, and none has been subject to tenders or commercial auctions.
Nevertheless, significant projects are in the pipeline, particularly in the UK, which has launched a tender process for 4,500 MW of floating wind power, “demonstrating the massive potential” of this technology, according to WindEurope.
Elsewhere, floating technology is less advanced, but China and Japan are pursuing projects, as indicated by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
Floating wind power generates considerable ambitions and industrial research because it opens up the possibility of installations further offshore and in areas where, as in the Mediterranean, the seabed drops rapidly.
For Southern Brittany, the tender was launched in May 2021 by the State, following a public debate held at the end of 2020.
According to the ministry, offers were evaluated based on criteria such as turbine recycling, contribution to a biodiversity protection fund (at least 20 million euros pledged by Pennavel), the rate of SME involvement in construction and operation (at least 10%), and participation in investment (at least 10 million euros).
“The State will be particularly attentive to the successful implementation of this world’s first commercial floating project, which is expected to generate around 4.5 million work hours during the construction phase and over 30 permanent jobs during the operational phase for maintenance,” it adds.
The developers will still need to refine the choice of floating technology, explained Aldrik de Fombelle, the project director, to AFP, expressing confidence and highlighting the offshore experience of the consortium parties.
The sector also hailed this as a “decisive step for this future-oriented industry.”
“This Southern Brittany tender represents a crucial opportunity for France to position itself as a leader in the field of floating wind power. It’s a global first,” rejoiced Anne-Catherine de Tourtier, president of the professional association France Renewables, urging France to catch up on its offshore wind lag.
Acknowledging a “slow start,” the government, through ministers Bruno Le Maire and Roland Lescure, reaffirmed its support for this energy in early May, aiming to increase production from 1.5 GW in 2024 to 18 GW in 2035 and 45 GW in 2050 (around fifty parks, fixed and floating).