French legislators have rejected draft proposals that would have allowed ministers the right to renegotiate or even cancel offshore wind subsidies.
The Senate tossed out measures designed to provide leverage to government as it seeks to bring down supports currently set at between €180 and €230 per megawatt-hour.
Separate negotiations between industry and officials are ongoing.
Legislation is likely to be the subject of further discussions in a mixed commission of the two halves of the French parliament, as the lower house has already considered the motion.
Round 1 and 2 licences were awarded in 2012 and 2014.
Developers and French coastal regions had cried foul at the plans to unilaterally cut subsidies with the latter demanding meetings with ministers to express their “profound astonishment”.
Round 1 includes EDF’s 480MW Saint-Nazaire, 450MW Courseulles and 498MW Fecamp as well as Iberdrola’s 496MW Saint-Brieuc. Round 2 is comprised of Engie’s 500MW Treport and 500MW Noirmoutier.
Image: a met mast on its way to EDF’s Fecamp project site (Seatower)
New twist in French subsidy row
By EBS