The renewables arm of BayWa and Belgian developer Elicio have won the 270MW AO5 floating wind tender in France.
The partners will develop the Pennavel project off the south coast of Brittany.
Pennavel will be the first commercial floating wind farm in the world to be awarded a long-term Contract for Difference, according to the developers. The price agreed by the French government is €86.45 per megawatt-hour.
The project benefits from a secured grid connection with RTE, the French transmission system operator, which is responsible for the transmission assets including offshore substation and export cables.
The shareholders said they are fully committed to making this project a success “by devoting special attention to the needs and wants of the region and local communities, working together with them in close dialogue while also fostering transparency throughout the entire project”.
The developers have committed to spending €5m to support the development of socio-economical activities related to the project in the Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions.
Through crowdfunding, the local population will have the opportunity to invest in this project. Furthermore, the floating offshore wind farm is expected to generate around 4,5 million working hours during the construction phase, and more than 30 permanent jobs during the operational one.
Alain Janssens, CEO of Elicio, said: “Elicio brings a unique set of collective and individual skills to this Consortium; and we are extremely pleased that this has been recognised with the award of the AO5 tender.
“Armed with our pioneering experience in offshore and building on our successful onshore wind track record in France, we are confident that we will contribute to the success of competitive floating offshore projects in France, combining sound project execution with a unique local footprint. Elicio is proud to add this French project to its extensive portfolio of offshore wind projects in Belgium and Scotland.”
Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWa r.e, added: “We are delighted by the decision of the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, which recognises the huge commitment and quality of the work carried out by the BayWa r.e. and Elicio teams.
“We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with the region and all stakeholders in support of the energy transition.
“It is a proud moment for the consortium, and as we begin a new chapter for BayWa r.e. in the floating offshore industry, we are excited to be working on such a game-changing project, which will act as a reference point for future floating wind farms across the globe.”