Nuestras iniciativas
VISITA NUESTROS PORTALES EXCLUSIVOS

“Si no te posicionas otros lo harán”

No se encontró el campo "country".

noviembre 11, 2024

France Maps Out the Future of Offshore Wind Energy with New Priority Areas

The French government has published its offshore wind energy planning and a map outlining the priority areas for development over the coming years, alongside the announcement of a 10 GW auction. This move has been welcomed by the Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables (SER) in dialogue with Energía Estratégica España.
By Emilia Lardizabal

By Emilia Lardizabal

noviembre 11, 2024
Francia eólica marina offshore wind France

France is committed to the development of offshore wind energy. Recently, the government released an offshore wind map identifying priority areas for the installation of this technology. Ministers Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Fabrice Loher, and Olga Givernet presented the maritime planning at the public forum «The Sea in Debate.»

Jérémy Simon,, Deputy General Delegate at the Syndicat des énergies renouvelables (SER) , told Energía Estratégica España that this measure is a positive signal for the sector, noting that companies had been waiting for a new step forward in the advancement of the technology.

The maritime planning outlines the creation of two maps for assigning wind farm projects and their connection to the grid: one for the next ten years, aiming to identify areas for the installation of wind farms with an additional capacity of 15.5 GW, and another for 2050, which will identify new zones to achieve the 45 GW target.

According to the French government, technical and environmental studies will soon be carried out at sea, both by the state and by RTE, the operator of the electrical grids.

growatt

The government assured that territorial balance would be maintained when selecting the zones. «For example, the Atlantic coastline, which has fewer development opportunities in the short term, will bear a significant portion of the effort between 2040 and 2050, with new areas made available through technological advances,» reads an official document.

The consultation process has also ensured a balance between moving the priority zones further from the coast to reduce the impact of future wind farms and controlling the potential costs of projects. The increased distance from shore could raise costs, particularly in terms of grid connection.

The design of the wind farms will also ensure that fishing activities can continue, as long as safety conditions permit. «The coexistence of activities and the protection of marine ecosystems is at the core of this balanced approach to offshore wind energy development,» the official document states.

Upcoming Auction and Goals for the Coming Years

In addition to the zone planning, the government has announced the launch of a new auction (AO10) with a capacity of 8 to 10 GW, set to be awarded by fall 2026.

This capacity represents 150% of the wind farms already awarded and six times the power of currently operating farms. The auction is part of the drive to reach 18 GW in operation by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050.

The auction will include two fixed-base wind turbine projects of approximately 2 GW each off the Eastern Channel and North Sea coasts, a floating wind turbine project of around 2 GW off the North Atlantic-Western Channel coast, a 1.2 GW floating wind turbine project off the South Atlantic coast, and a floating wind turbine project of approximately 2 GW off the Mediterranean coast.

While the auction announcement has been made, J. Simon emphasizes that the rules and criteria for this mechanism are still pending. «We are now waiting for the official launch with the criteria and requirements that will be necessary, the terms and conditions for the auction. But the main expectation for the auction is that the timeline is respected, meaning it should be launched next year, as the government has announced,» he notes.

Regarding the installed capacity targets for the coming years, J. Simon from SER stresses that the sector is «ready,» but it will depend on the state’s ability to stick to the planned agenda.

«In France, the responsibility for preliminary studies, technical studies, and environmental studies lies with state agencies and entities. So, if they move quickly in conducting these studies, it will be easier for us to meet our own agenda,» J. Simon explains.

He adds that the second condition is the administrative process for launching the planned auctions, as public procurement processes are de facto «very long» and often delayed by social and landscape opposition to such projects.

«There is some legal opposition, which is normal. But it takes time for judges to determine that there are no legal issues with the project, and only then can the project continue,» J. Simon explains.

«For our part, I’m referring to the industrial sectors, the economic sectors, all the companies—we also need to respect our own agenda. This means we need to be ready to acquire all the necessary materials for constructing cables, turbines, etc. There’s still work to be done in the economic sectors to be prepared and present when the state launches the upcoming auctions,» he adds.

Operational and Ongoing Offshore Wind Projects

Currently, France has three operational offshore wind farms: Saint-Brieuc (496 MW), Saint-Nazaire (480 MW), and Fécamp (497 MW), all of which were the result of the first auction held in 2011.

There are also five offshore wind farms under construction: Ile d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (488 MW), Dieppe-Le Tréport (496 MW), Courseulles-sur-Mer (448 MW), and the Gruissan and Leucate-Le Barcarès projects, each with 30 MW.

The project portfolio also includes two wind farms in development: Centre Manche 1 (1 GW), scheduled to begin construction in 2025, and Bretagne Sud 1 (250 MW), expected to start construction between 2028 and 2029. The «Dunkerque» farm (600 MW) has received authorization and is expected to start construction in 2026.

Additionally, there are eight projects in the competitive bidding phase, totaling a combined capacity of 5.5 GW.

0 comentarios

Enviar un comentario

Tu dirección de correo electrónico no será publicada. Los campos obligatorios están marcados con *

Related news

Continue Reading