Wind energy in France is ready to take off with its upcoming wind projects. France has abundant offshore wind resources with its 3,500 km of coastline and installed 3% of the global wind energy in 2023. The wind farms in France have potential to lead the European wind market and contribute to the renewable energy targets set by the country.

According to Blackridge’s France offshore wind database, as of 2024, only three offshore wind projects, Saint-Nazaire (480 MW) and Saint-Brieuc (496 MW) and Fécamp offshore wind farm (497 MW) are operational in France.

France has implemented some important legal and regulatory reforms, this includes the APER Law and the Green Industry Law, designed to accelerate wind power capacity. Also, France has set ambitious wind energy targets of achieving 40 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2050 and awarding 10 GW annually by 2025.

This blog explores the top seven upcoming wind farms set to transform wind energy in France.

List of Upcoming Top WindMills in France

Centre Manche 2 Offshore Wind Farm

The Centre Manche 2 Offshore Wind Project is a planned offshore wind farm in the English Channel, approximately 43 km off the coast of Normandy, France. The wind project is part of the country's commitment to achieving 1 GW of new offshore wind capacity annually from 2023 onward. The offshore wind farm will span a surface area of 270 km² and is expected to deliver clean energy to power approximately 1.7 million homes annually.

The Centre Manche 2 offshore wind farm will feature an installed capacity ranging between 1,400 MW and 1,600 MW. The wind farm is expected to produce around 6.1 TWh of renewable electricity each year reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Development of the project started with the public consultations held between 2019 and 2020. Later, the "Centre Manche" zone was identified for offshore wind development, leading to the launch of a competitive tendering process (AO8) in 2022. According to the France's Ministry of Industry and Energy the construction phase of Centre Manche 2 wind farm is anticipated to begin in 2026 and full commissioning by 2032. 

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Marine consultancy ABL has been appointed as the marine warranty surveyor which is responsible for overseeing transportation and installation operations for the grid connection systems. Additionally, RTE and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique–Hitachi Energy consortium secured a EUR 4.5 billion contract to construct offshore platforms and onshore converter stations for the project's infrastructure.

The Centre Manche 2 wind farm will include a 105 km long DC export cable, connecting the offshore installation to a 400 kV substation at Tourbe. Offshore substations, each with a capacity of 1.25 GW, will be linked through three 2 km interstation cables. Each wind turbine platform will feature topsides weighing approximately 13,300 tonnes, supported by jackets of around 7,000 tonnes.

The wind power project represents a huge investment, with EUR 10.82 billion allocated through a two-way contract for difference (CfD) scheme by the European Union. Vattenfall, Skyborn, and Banque des Territoires, and the consortium of TotalEnergies and RWE is in contention for Centre Manche 2 and Centre Manche 1 projects. Together, these wind farms form part of a larger 2.5 GW offshore wind power zone in Normandy.

Centre Manche 1 Wind Farm

The Centre Manche 1 Offshore Wind Project is a planned 1 GW wind farm located more than 32 kilometers off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. The wind project is developed by Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie, a joint venture between EDF Renewables and Maple Power. The wind farm is set to start construction in 2027 and expected to be commissioned by 2031.

In March 2023, Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie was awarded the contract after a competitive bidding process launched by France’s Ministry of Energy Transition. The wind farm developer outperformed five other pre-qualified consortia, including major players such as Iberdrola, Ocean Winds, Shell, and a joint venture between TotalEnergies and RWE. EDF Renewables and Maple Power offered a strike price of less than EUR 45 per MWh.

The Manche Normandie offshore wind farm project will have a maximum of 37 to 47 offshore wind turbines installed over an area of ??183 km². The wind farm is expected to generate around 4.5 million MWh annually, enough to power 1.5 million people (80,000 french households). 

The project will be connected to the onshore grid via a high-capacity DC export cable linking to the Menuel substation. Energy and marine consultancy ABL will act as the marine warranty surveyor for the wind farm. EDF Renewables and Maple Power are experienced leaders in this sector, having successfully developed France's first offshore wind farm in Saint-Nazaire (480 MW), along with projects like Fécamp (497 MW) and Calvados (450 MW).

Oléron Wind Farm 1

The Oléron 1 Offshore Wind Project is a proposed 1,000 MW wind farm located approximately 40 kilometers off the Île d'Oléron in the Bay of Biscay, France. The wind project is part of the larger Sud-Atlantique Offshore Wind Initiative (AO7) which focuses to capitalize on the deep water wind for renewable energy. The construction of the wind farm is set to begin in 2026-2027 and commissioning of the project is expected in 2032.

Oléron 1 is part of France's broader strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Together with its counterpart, Oléron 2, the two projects will generate between 1.9 and 2.3 GW of clean energy. This initiative aligns with France's goal of commissioning 50 offshore wind farms by 2050, totaling 40 GW of capacity.

The wind farm will cover an area of 180 km² and will be situated at an average depth of 60 meters. This makes it the furthest offshore wind project from the French coast, presenting unique engineering and logistical challenges. The designated zone is outside the Gironde Estuary and Pertuis Sea Marine Park.

Public debate for the project was held between September 2021 and February 2022. Following that, the French government launched a call for tenders in October 2022. The competitive dialogue phase began on March 27, 2023, with several major developers, including Ocean Winds, EDF Renewables and Maple Power (Oléron Atlantique Group), TotalEnergies and JERA Power (Oléron Marine Energies Group), RWE, and Iberdrola. The winning bid will be announced in 2025.

Dunkirk Wind Farm

The Dunkirk Offshore Wind Farm is a 600 MW renewable energy project located in the English Channel, off the coast of Hauts-de-France, France. Currently, the project is in the permitting stage and is set to begin construction in 2026. The wind farm developed by the Éoliennes en Mer de Dunkerque (EMD) consortium, a joint venture between EDF Renewables (40%), Enbridge (30%), and RWE Renewables (30%), will reach commercial operation by 2028.

The wind farm will have an area of 50 km² and feature up to 46 offshore wind turbines mounted on fixed monopile foundations. These turbines spaced approximately 1 km apart will be located at least 10 km off the coast of Dunkirk and 11.4 km from nearby Belgian seaside towns. The turbines standing between 240 and 300 meters tall will harness the region’s strong wind conditions and shallow waters with depths under 30 meters.

Read: Top Upcoming Offshore Wind Farms in the North Sea Region

Once operational, the Dunkirk wind farm is expected to generate around 2.3 TWh of electricity generation annually. It is enough to power approximately 950,000 households, covering over a third of the population of the Nord département. Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE) will handle the grid infrastructure, including a high-voltage offshore substation, two export cables (20–25 km in length), an onshore substation, and an overhead transmission line.

The project has an estimated construction cost of EUR 1.4 billion and supports regional economic growth through the involvement of the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque.

Despite its promising outlook, the project has faced opposition. In May 2024, Belgium’s North Sea and Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt formally objected to the development, citing concerns during the public debate. Belgian authorities are evaluating the potential impacts on their coastal areas, reflecting the need for continued international dialogue and environmental assessment.

Narbonnaise Floating Wind Farm and Extension

Narbonnaise Floating Offshore Wind Farm is part of France’s floating wind farms tender in 2022 for two 250 MW projects in the Mediterranean Sea. The project is set to be located over 25 kilometers off the Narbonne coast in Occitanie, within an allocated area of 48 km². Planned for commissioning by 2031 and the wind project significantly contributes to France’s renewable energy targets.

The Narbonnaise project includes an extension phase with an additional 500 MW offshore wind power capacity. The extension will be situated more than 30 kilometers off the Aude coast. This expansion will cover an area of 96 km², meeting around 10% of the total electricity consumption for the Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur régions.

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The selection of the site followed extensive environmental studies to ensure minimal impact on the local ecosystem. French officials, including Christophe Béchu, Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, and Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition, emphasized the project’s alignment with France’s ecological goals. Additionally, the strategic location within the Gulf of Lion offers optimal wind speed and supports France's objective of promoting sustainable energy.

Dieppe-Le Treport Wind Farm

The Dieppe-Le Tréport Offshore Wind Farm is a 496 MW project under construction in the English Channel off the coasts of Dieppe and Le Tréport in Normandy, France. The offshore wind project is developed by Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport (EMDT), a consortium formed by Engie (31%), EDP Renewables (29.5%), Sumitomo Corporation (29.5%), and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (10%). The wind farm has an estimated EUR 2 billion investment and aims to generate enough renewable energy to supply approximately 850,000 people annually.

The Dieppe-Le Tréport Offshore wind farm covers an area of 110 km² at water depths ranging from 14 to 25 meters. The wind farm will feature 62 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW offshore wind turbines and generate an average of 2,000 GWh per year.

Power generated from the wind farm will be transmitted via an offshore high-voltage station (OHVS) and subsea cables to the onshore grid. This infrastructure includes two 225 kV subsea cables and a 23 km subsea section, followed by a 3.5 km underground link to the Grande-Sole substation in Petit-Caux. A 400 kV underground connection will distribute electricity to the Penly substation.

Key contractors include Siemens Gamesa for turbine supply, DEME for foundation installation, and Nexans for cable production and installation, supported by engineering firms such as Ramboll and Empire Engineering. Construction of the wind farm commenced in 2024, and full operational status is expected by the second half of 2026.

Courseulles-Sur-Mer Wind Farm

The Courseulles-sur-Mer Offshore Wind Farm, also known as the Calvados Offshore Wind Farm, is one of the largest upcoming renewable energy projects in France. The renewable energy project is under construction off the Bessin coast in Normandy, France. The wind farm is developed by a consortium comprising EDF Renewables, EIH S.à.r.l (Enbridge and CPP Investments), and Skyborn Renewables, which emerged from France's first offshore wind tender launched in 2011.

The Calvado wind farm will feature 64 turbines with a total capacity of 450 MW. The wind farm spans over 50 km² and is located more than 10 kilometers from the shore. The project will generate enough clean electricity to power 630,000 people, covering over 90% of the energy needs of Calvados' population.

Read: Top 7 Upcoming Wind Farm Projects in Italy

The construction of the wind farm began in 2021, with full commissioning expected in 2025. The project achieved a significant milestone in 2024 by connecting the offshore electrical substation. The connection process is executed by a team of 150 professionals using six specialized vessels, underscores the project's complexity and scale.

The wind farm project has a fixed purchase price of EUR 138.70 per MWh. The project also boosts the local economy by establishing an operation and maintenance base at the Port of Caen-Ouistreham.

France Wind Energy: Offshore Wind Power Overview

France is an emerging player in European offshore wind energy. The country now aims to reach 18 GW of offshore wind power capacity by 2035 and an ambitious 40 GW by 2050, aligning with its national energy strategy and European Green Deal commitments. There are key developments by the French government in wind projects including eight rounds of tenders that reflect a structured plan to expand France’s wind energy capacity. 

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Offshore wind projects from the first round in 2012, such as Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Brieuc, Fécamp, and Courseulles-sur-Mer, are either operational or nearing completion, contributing over 2 GW of capacity. Subsequent rounds have introduced additional projects including floating offshore wind farms with commissioning dates around the early 2030s.

France plans to launch its tenth offshore wind tender (AO10) in the coming months, targeting 8–10 GW. The tender includes two fixed-bottom and three floating wind farms off Fécamp, Brittany, the Gulf of Biscay, and the Mediterranean. Contracts are expected to be awarded by fall 2026, contributing to France’s goal of 18 GW by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050.

France's wind energy market holds a great investment potential supported by a clear legal framework and government-backed incentives. Efforts to diversify ownership and ensure competitive tender processes aim to foster innovation and maintain market stability. With a roadmap laid out in the upcoming multi-year energy plan (PPE 3) for 2024-2033, France is positioned to become a European leader in offshore and onshore wind energy. This commitment not only strengthens its energy security but also supports broader goals of reducing carbon emissions and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

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