EU: A consortium involving a German company also present in Romania will develop the first floating offshore wind farm in France
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A consortium consisting of Elicio from Belgium and BayWa r.e. from Germany won the tender organized by the French state for the development and operation of the first floating offshore wind farm in this country, the 250 MW Pennavel project, off the south coast of Brittany, according to the specialist press.
In 2021, France opened the first tender for a commercial floating offshore wind project off the southern coast of Brittany with a capacity of up to 270 MW. The tender brought together ten candidates pre-selected by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) based on their technical and financial capabilities.
On May 15, 2024, the consortium BayWa r.e. – Elicio has been announced as the winner of the AO5 tender for the construction of the Pennavel floating offshore wind farm. The offer proposed by the consortium amounted to EUR 86.45 per MWh and was selected following the examination of all projects by CRE. The 250MW Pennavel will be the world’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm to be awarded a long-term contract for difference (CfD), the consortium said.
The project will benefit from a network connection provided by the French national operator RTE, including for offshore substations and export cables.
“We are delighted with the decision of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, which recognizes the huge commitment and quality of work carried out by the teams of BayWa r.e. and Elicio. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with the region and all stakeholders in support of the energy transition,” said Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWa r.e.
The developers have committed to spending 5 million euros to support the development of socio-economic activities related to the project in the Bretagne and Pays de la Loire regions.
Through crowdfunding, the local population will have the opportunity to invest in this project.
In addition, the floating offshore wind farm at Pennavel is expected to generate approximately 4.5 million hours of work during the construction phase and more than 30 permanent jobs during the operation phase.
This wind farm, the second floating wind project in Europe won by Elicio and BayWa r.e. after the 960MW Buchan project in Scotland, it will generate around 30% of Brittany’s current renewable energy output and power more than 450,000 residents annually.
“With our pioneering offshore experience and building on our successful track record in onshore wind in France, we are confident that we will contribute to the success of competitive floating offshore projects in France by combining solid project execution with a local footprint unique. Elicio is proud to add this French project to its extensive portfolio of offshore wind projects in Belgium and Scotland,” said Alain Janssens, CEO of Elicio.
This month, France launched a tender for four offshore wind projects with a total capacity of 2.5 GW. The first round of tenders includes a 500 MW project in southern Brittany, two 500 MW projects in the Mediterranean and a 1 GW project in Oleron.
BayWa r.e. is part of the BayWa Group, experts in trade, logistics, agriculture, energy and construction, with a history of 100 years. Last month, the company obtained the technical approval for connection (ATR) for a large photovoltaic park of 245 MW, which would be located in Giurgiu county, Centrala Electrica Fotovoltraica Tălgat, according to Transelectrica data.
