Media (Reuters) is reporting this morning the statement from a representative from the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development concerning the launch today of the first tender procedure for the construction of offshore wind farms in France. The tender should already have been launched in September, a delay that underlines the multiple issues surrounding offshore wind in France. Other countries that are investing in offshore wind have also elaborated new regulatory framework applicable to offshore wind (see e.g, Norway and previous post). The French Energy Regulator (Commission de Régulation de l'Energie, CRE) will be responsible for conducting the call, as it usually does for other tenders.
International manufacturers will certainly be attentive to the news and to reinforcing their commercial position in a country which will probably need to count on foreign expertise in offshore wind. Meanwhile, and as underlined in the Reuters' article, Alstom could be able to compete, and the operation of the farms could interest among others EDF, GDF Suez and EDF Energies Nouvelles.
Earlier this month, CRE has already launched a call for tenders concerning onshore wind farms in Corsica and Overseas territories.
The Pluriannual Programme in Investments in Electricity Generation 2009-2020 (PPI) was planning to build 6,000 MW of offshore wind generation capacity by 2020 and 25,000 MW onshore.
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