According to new reports, the French government will seek to begin a new series of contracts totalling 10 billion euros to fund 3,000 MW of offshore wind capacity.
Next month, the government will being tendering contracts with various energy groups seeking to begin producing electricity in the form of renewable wind energy by 2015. Furthermore, the government aims to have a total of 6,000 MW in offshore wind capacity by 2020. So far five of 10 sites in Normandy have been identified to receive 600 wind turbines.
France has been attempting to catch up to Germany by increasing its capacity for floating wind turbines. At present there are no offshore wind turbines in France, so the move will be a significant step for France’s alternative energy programme.
Three gigawatts of energy capacity will be enough to power Lyon and Marseille alone, which encompasses about 1.3 million people. Last month, local energy firm GDF Suez said that it would invest 1.8 billion euros into wind energy. The French energy giant will build a 700 MW wind farm in the north of France.
Among the goals in developing the wind energy market in France is the underlying intention of boosting the local job economy. With the arrival of the grants, firms will hire local labour for manufacturing, construction and operation. If successful, France will be required to install more capacity each year than the entire EU installed in offshore technology during 2009.
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