France has officially launched a long-awaited tender for 10 gigawatts (GW) of new offshore wind capacity, marking one of the largest renewable energy procurement programs ever undertaken in Europe. The tender, announced by the French Energy Ministry in June 2026, aims to significantly expand the country’s offshore wind portfolio from less than 2GW today to 15GW by 2035. The projects will be located along France’s western coastline.
France 10GW Offshore Wind Farm Tender Structure
The procurement will be divided equally between fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind technologies:
Fixed-bottom offshore wind: 5GW
Floating offshore wind: 5GW
Fixed-bottom projects will use conventional foundations attached directly to the seabed. They are expected to deliver some of the most cost-competitive offshore renewable power in Europe. Floating projects, meanwhile, will allow developers to exploit deeper-water locations that were previously inaccessible, helping establish France as a major hub for commercial-scale floating wind deployment.
Developers will have four months to submit bids. Contract awards are expected in February 2027. Additionally, the projects will operate under Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanisms, providing revenue certainty while protecting consumers from excessive electricity price volatility.
Tender Financing: Contracts for Difference (CfD)
Revenue support will be provided through CfD, under which developers receive a predetermined strike price for electricity generation. When market prices fall below the agreed level, the government compensates operators; when prices exceed the strike price, developers return the difference to the state.
The French government is also introducing mechanisms encouraging turbine maintenance activities during periods of low electricity prices. This is aimed at mitigating risks associated with negative pricing events resulting from high renewable generation output.
Offshore Wind Deployment in France
The offshore wind tender is important in France’s latest energy planning framework. It also follows several years of delays amid political uncertainty and changing market conditions.
The government has bundled multiple planned auction rounds into a single large-scale procurement process. This is designed to accelerate deployment and provide long-term visibility for investors and manufacturers. The move also comes at a critical time for the European offshore wind industry, which is seeking stronger project pipelines to justify continued investments in manufacturing capacity and supply-chain expansion.
France has historically lagged behind several northern European countries in offshore wind deployment despite having one of the continent’s largest maritime zones. By opening a 10GW procurement round, France is seeking to close that gap by adding more offshore power generation assets alongside others under development including the €4.5 billion, 1.5 GW Centre Manche 2 project by TotalEnergies. The initiative also aligns with wider EU ambitions to rapidly increase offshore renewable generation capacity across the region.
France 10GW tender also comes amid growing concerns from turbine manufacturers and supply-chain companies about the pace of future offshore wind farm deployment. Industry leaders have warned that delays to large-scale projects could jeopardize European manufacturing investments and employment. France’s decision provides a significant boost to market confidence. It also positions the country as a key growth market for offshore wind development.
Industrial and Supply Chain Requirements
A major feature of the tender is its emphasis on European manufacturing and industrial resilience. The French government has indicated that offshore wind turbines deployed under the program must largely be manufactured within Europe. This is while components sourced from outside the region will be subject to stringent environmental and sustainability requirements.
The approach forms part of France’s broader “Made in Europe” strategy. Made-in-Europe is aimed at strengthening domestic and regional clean-energy supply chains and reducing dependence on imports. This is in a bid to create long-term industrial employment opportunities. The tender is also expected to support manufacturing facilities, ports, installation contractors, vessel operators and engineering firms across France and the wider European Union.
France 10GW Offshore Wind Tender: Fact Sheet
Location: France’s west coast
Fixed-bottom offshore wind: 5GW
Floating offshore wind: 5GW
Procurement model: Contracts for Difference (CfD)
Tender launch: June 2026
Bid submission period: Four months
Expected award date: February 2027
Current French offshore wind capacity: Less than 2GW
2035 offshore wind target: 15GW
Primary objective: Renewable energy deployment and strengthening European supply chains
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