France awards its largest offshore wind project to date

TotalEnergies have won the French AO8 auction for a 1.5 GW project off the coast of Normandy. The project will boost jobs, cut electricity costs, and power more than 1 million French homes. It marks a decisive step forward in the development of offshore wind in France.

France has awarded its largest offshore wind project to date. The Centre-Manche 2 wind farm, located over 40 km off the coast of Normandy, will be built by TotalEnergies. It has a total capacity of 1.5 GW. Once operational in 2033 it will power more than 1 million households with competitive and domestically-produced renewable electricity.

This is a big step forward for offshore wind in France. The AO8 auction had healthy competition. The winning bid came in at €66/MWh making offshore wind the cheapest form of power generation in France.

The project makes strong commitments to France’s goal of solidifying and expanding its own offshore wind supply chain. It will use turbines and cables made in Europe. It will involve small and medium-sized businesses for at least 10% of the project, from studies and manufacturing to construction and operations. This means more jobs and stronger local industry.

The Centre-Manche 2 wind farm is part of France’s wider offshore wind ambition. The country already has 1.6 GW of operational offshore wind capacity, with another 1.5 GW under construction. It aims to reach 18 GW by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050. The AO8 auction round new project helps keep that momentum and shows that France remains an attractive market for offshore wind.

On the same day, the Government announced that no bids were received for the AO7 auction. The site’s technical challenges and changing market conditions made it too difficult for developers to commit, despite 9 of them having prequalified to bid into AO7.  Future auctions will need to strike a better balance to keep projects moving.

The AO8 result is a clear signal: offshore wind works for France. It brings clean power, creates jobs, and strengthens Europe’s energy independence. It will help electrify France’s economy. Now the sector is calling for the next steps, the launch of AO9 and AO10, to keep the pipeline going and avoid delays. Investors need the French Government to approve the multiannual energy programme (PP3 – “Programmation Pluriannuelle de l’Energie”) as soon as possible. This multiannnual energy programme is a necessary precondition for the gigascale AO10 auction round to be launched. Offshore wind is ready. France must stay the course.