This is a great first in more than one way. The government is today unveiling the award of the call for tenders for the first floating offshore wind farm in “southern Brittany”, located around twenty kilometers from the coast, off the coast of Belle-Ile-en-mer and the the island of Groix. It is awarded to Pennavel, a consortium made up of two European heavyweights in renewable energies: the Belgian Elicio and the German BayWa r.e (a subsidiary of BayWa AG), who proposed a price of 86.45 euros per megawatt hour, very far from the ceiling price which had been set at 140 euros per MWh. With a power of 250 megawatts, the wind farm will produce the electricity necessary for the needs of around 450,000 inhabitants.
“Firm commitments have been made by the consortium in terms of energy transition, subcontracting and employment,” underlines Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy. A first step towards the implementation of “local” content, expected by European industrial players in the sector facing formidable Chinese competitors.
Another strong signal sent to the sector: the winner is not EDF! Enough to silence the critics who were annoyed to see the French calls for tenders in offshore wind power allocated to the historic player in the sector. “Opportunities will multiply with the allocation of 14GW in the next 3 years,” adds Roland Lescure, Minister for Industry and Energy. Offshore wind power proves once again that renewable energies bring us cheap electricity, income for the regions and industrial jobs. »