The French government has released its long-awaited multi-annual energy programme – Programmation Pluriannuelle de l’Energie (PPE) – setting out a national energy strategy that includes the country’s first major commitment to tidal power. The plan calls for competitive tenders for 250 MW of tidal energy capacity to be awarded by 2030 – a milestone seen as the final catalyst for industrialising the sector.
The announcement follows the UK’s fourth round of tidal energy support earlier this week, which allocated contracts for 140 MW of capacity. Together, these developments make Europe the first continent to enter the industrial phase of tidal energy – a shift that could reshape the region’s renewable mix and enhance energy security.
European developers have been preparing for this moment for nearly a decade. The first pilot tidal farms were deployed between 2015 and 2016 in Scotland, the Netherlands, and France, proving the technology’s reliability and performance. With technical readiness no longer in doubt, attention has now turned to scaling up.
For France, the PPE provides long-awaited market visibility that could unlock private investment. Guaranteed revenue frameworks under the new tendering system are expected to attract a wider pool of investors beyond early backers such as QAIR, giving the sector the financial certainty needed for manufacturing and deployment at scale.
European Union support, through Horizon Europe and the Innovation Fund, has underpinned research and technology development for years. National tenders are widely viewed as the final piece of the policy puzzle – signalling that tidal energy is moving from demonstration to deployment across European waters.
