Corio Generation, Qair and TotalEnergies have formed a new partnership to participate in a competitive tender to develop two floating wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea.
The two projects of about 250MW each could supply enough clean energy to meet the annual electricity consumption of almost one million people, according to the French Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC)
The Qair, TotalEnergies and Corio Generation consortium said the new call for tenders will help to achieve France’s objective of 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050.
The partnership will also aim to support the development of a local Mediterranean industrial value chain for offshore wind power.
To this end, the consortium plans to consult regional stakeholders, promote the local economy and ensure communities benefit from employment opportunities.
The consortium will leverage each company’s technical expertise, strong financial capacity and extensive experience in the offshore wind sector, it said.
Corio Generation chief executive Jonathan Cole said: “We truly believe France can become a world leader in the development of offshore wind.
“With its deep waters and industrial heritage, the Mediterranean is fantastically placed to benefit from floating wind technology, creating significant job and investment opportunities.
“Deploying new projects at scale will be critical to realising the full potential of France’s wind resources and unlocking a significant clean, reliable and affordable source of electricity for generations to come.”