The offshore wind industry signed an “offshore wind pact” with the State in 2022, aiming to achieve a project allocation rate of 2 GW per year starting in 2025, with an installed capacity of 18 GW by 2035 and 40 GW by 2050.
Achieving these new targets will require strengthened planning for offshore wind energy, as well as a revision of the project allocation framework to generate time and efficiency gains. To this end, the State has initiated several consultations with relevant stakeholders since 2023.
Consultation regarding the 10th auction (AO10) – ongoing
The DGEC is considering starting a competitive bidding process (referred to as “AO10”) for offshore wind projects located in various French maritime facades, in the areas identified in the decision of October 17, 2024, following the public debate “The Sea in Debate,” regarding the update of the strategic sections of the facade documents and the mapping of priority maritime and land areas for offshore wind energy.
In accordance with Article 3 of this decision, it is planned to initiate the first competitive bidding process in the coming months, aiming to award between 8.4 and 9.2 GW of new offshore wind projects before the end of 2026.
These projects will be connected using direct current technology, with a voltage of 320 kilovolts (kV) for projects of approximately 1.1 or 1.2 GW and 525 kV for projects of approximately 2 GW.
The consultation aims to support the preparatory work for launching this upcoming tender, particularly regarding the capacity of each project and the connection methods, its geography and timeline, the integration of a diversification clause, and the use of helipads.
The consultation seeks input on whether the 2 GW plots should be assigned to a single project or divided into smaller projects with shared connections. Additionally, the DGEC is looking for opinions on the location of the plots, the estimated commissioning dates, the project timelines, and the rules to prevent a single bidder from winning all the tenders. The objectives for the development of offshore wind energy include the allocation of at least 15.5 GW of new capacity within 10 years, starting from the adoption of the map resulting from the public consultation “The Sea in Debate.”
As part of this project, the DGEC is considering launching a competitive bidding process, called “AO10,” for offshore wind projects located in various French maritime regions. These areas were identified in the decision of October 17, 2024, which was adopted following the public debate focused on updating the strategic sections of the facade documents and the map of priority maritime and land areas for offshore wind energy. According to Article 3 of this decision, it is planned to initiate an initial competitive bidding procedure in the coming months, aiming to award projects in the following areas:
- Two offshore wind projects of approximately 2 gigawatts (GW) each on the eastern coast of the English Channel.
- One floating wind turbine project of between 1.2 GW and 2 GW on the northern Atlantic coast.
- One floating wind turbine project of approximately 1.2 GW on the western coast of the English Channel.
- One floating wind turbine project of approximately 2 GW on the Mediterranean coast.
For each of the questions raised, responses can be presented in the form of maps or diagrams. In the specific case of the northwest Brittany area, invitations are being sent based on the indicative area for ongoing consultation as outlined in the interministerial decision.
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