The French government has announced that 12 candidates have pre-qualified for the 2500MW AO9 offshore wind tender.
The selected consortiums are Le Groupement Elicio, Q Energy and Kansai Electric, Les Eoliennes du Grand Large consisting of EDF and Maple Power, Ocean Winds/Banque des Territoires, Oxan Energy/Ingka Investments, Skyborn-Octopus and Plenitude- Qair.
The solo players cleared to take part are EnBW Valeco Offshore, Iberdrola, BayWa r.e, Parkwind, RWE and TotalEnergies.
A09 consists of four wind projects expected to be awarded in autumn 2025 and to become operational between 2032 and 2034.
These are the floating 400MW to 550MW Bretagne Sud 2, an extension of the AO5 scheme, and the floating 450MW to 550MW Golfe de Fos 2 which is an extension of AO6.
The 450MW to 550MW Narbonnaise 2 float, which is also an extension of A06 in the Mediterranean, and the fixed or floating 1GW to 1.25GW Oleron 2 project are also in play.
The latter is also an extension scheme, this time of AO7 in the South Atlantic.
The prequalification announcement represents the start of the next phase in the tender process, the competitive dialogue, during which the French authorities will jointly outline the detailed criteria of the tender, as well as defining the maritime zones where the projects will be located more precisely.
The tender is launched in the framework of France’s ambition to place offshore wind power at the core of its energy transition strategy.
On 18 October 2024, the French government specified the next offshore wind tender AO10 by releasing new marine spatial plans. This tender should be launched in the coming months and will add between 8.4GW and 9.2GW of offshore wind capacity, presenting significant opportunities for the industry and supporting the country’s commitment to renewables expansion.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, said: “Offshore wind will undoubtedly play an integral role in France’s energy system, harnessing strong winds to generate more clean power.
“This exciting partnership with Skyborn is a game-changer, marking the first time Octopus will enter an offshore wind tender globally, and potentially adding a new country to our offshore wind roster.”
Guillain Chapelon, Managing Director of Skyborn France, said: “We are delighted to be officially prequalified for the ninth offshore wind tender in France. Our unprecedented partnership with Octopus Energy Generation will enable us to offer a robust project, meeting the needs of all stakeholders involved.”
Head of renewable energy at Ingka Investments Frederik de Jong said: “Offshore wind has a huge potential to contribute to Europe’s decarbonised energy goals, and we are looking forward to the next steps of this partnership in France.”
Oxan Energy founder and chief executive Nicolas Paul-Dauphin added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Ingka Investments, a strong and strategic partner, for the French market. France offers interesting perspectives, given the volume and visibility of the next offshore wind tenders.”