France has earmarked five ports to develop for floating wind turbines, the government has announced.
France, it says, aims to become ‘one of the European and world leaders in the development of floating wind turbines, with a target of nearly 6GW in service by 2020’.
The ports of Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes-Saint Nazaire, Port-la-Nouvelle and Marseille-Fos will each get a share of nearly €260 million in aid from France 2030, but the ports themselves will be expected to put up almost €1 billion themselves.
“Ports are a strategic link in the development of wind power, particularly at sea,” said Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transport. “Thanks to their proximity to the seafront and their vast spaces adapted to this non-standard equipment, they play a key role in their assembly, installation and maintenance. By contributing to the development of jobs and the added value of the sector in France, our ports strengthen our industrial and energy sovereignty.”
In 2024, French ports were called upon to start adapting their infrastructure to accommodate floating wind, with the construction or modification of quays, platforms and access roads.
France currently has 30MW of floating offshore wind fully operational, following the commissioning of the Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion pilot.
Around 5GW of floating capacity is either awarded, under development or included in current tender plans, including commercial projects in Brittany, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
When it comes to fixed-bottom, France has about 2GW that is fully operational, with another 1GW under construction or being commissioned.
A further 6.7 GW of fixed-bottom capacity is in development or planned procurement, giving France an identified fixed-bottom pipeline of roughly 9.6GW.
France is targeting 18 GW of total offshore wind by 2035, with floating technology expected to make up an increasing share.
