The European Commission has formally approved France’s €11 billion offshore wind aid scheme, which will fund three floating wind farms – one in Southern Brittany and two in the Mediterranean – each designed for approximately 500 MW of installed capacity.
This infrastructure will collectively add 1.5 GW to France’s renewable grid, generating around 2.2 TWh of electricity per farm annually. The aid is structured as a 20-year two-way contract for difference (CfD), with the reference price for electricity set by a competitive “pay as bid” tender. Operators will receive monthly premium payments when market prices fall below the reference price, but must reimburse the state when prices exceed it. Payments will be suspended during negative pricing periods to prevent overcompensation.
The scheme will deploy advanced floating wind platforms, allowing installation in deeper, less sheltered waters compared to fixed-bottom foundations. Competitive tendering will help maintain market discipline and diversify supply chains, reducing dependency on imports from China. It also complies with the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), aligning national energy security priorities with the EU’s 2030 decarbonization goals.
Designed to accelerate industrial-scale offshore wind deployment, the initiative will bolster grid decarbonisation, strengthen France’s domestic manufacturing base, and ensure that financial support remains proportionate and non-distortive.
