The French government has announced the selection of a developer for the floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean, located off the Aude region. Ocean Winds will install 12 massive turbines with an annual capacity of 250 MW, sufficient to supply electricity to 450,000 residents.
Following a review by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), the government awarded the project to a consortium operating in the area known as the “Narbonnaise,” more than 25 km off the coast, between Agde (Hérault) and Port-la-Nouvelle (Aude).
The winning consortium consists of Ocean Winds—a 50-50 joint venture between Engie and EDPR, headquartered in Madrid—and Éolien en Mer Participation, established in 2019.
12 Giant 21.5 MW Turbines
Ocean Winds, in partnership with Caisse des Dépôts and Banque des Territoires, anticipates a final investment decision around 2029 or 2030, pending potential appeals, with construction slated for the early 2030s, according to Ocean Winds France CEO Marc Hirt during a press conference.
The estimated investment for the project is €800 million. The wind farm will feature 12 turbines, each with a capacity of 21.5 MW, standing approximately 163 meters high at the nacelle and reaching up to 300 meters at the blade’s peak.
Ocean Winds has proposed a feed-in tariff of €92.7 per MWh.
Job Creation for Construction and Operations
Following a public consultation organized by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), the competitive bidding process was launched in March 2022, with 13 candidates shortlisted for the construction and operation of this floating offshore wind farm.
“The developer has committed to recycling the turbines, including blades and magnets, and to allocating 10% of studies, component manufacturing, construction, and operational activities to SMEs,” stated the Ministry of Industry in a press release.
The EFLO project, Éoliennes Flottantes d’Occitanie, is expected to generate approximately 5 million working hours during its development and construction phases and to create permanent maintenance jobs during its operational phase.
Marc Ferracci, Minister for Industry and Energy, emphasized the importance of these offshore wind projects, highlighting their dual role in fostering a green industrial sector and addressing the challenges of energy transition.
France aims to have 18 GW of offshore wind capacity in service by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050.
