Offshore wind power rapidly growing in France

April 10, 2026
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France has been rapidly expanding offshore wind power as part of its energy transition, but compared to countries like the UK or Germany, it is still in a growth phase rather than a mature market.

Here’s a clear, up-to-date overview:

Offshore wind power in France

1) Current status (2025–2026)

  • France is relatively new to offshore wind
  • In 2025, it added about 408 MW of offshore capacity to the grid
  • The country historically relied more on nuclear power, which slowed early offshore wind development

Key milestone

  • Provence Grand Large (25 MW)
    • First floating offshore wind farm in France
    • Located in the Mediterranean
    • Uses floating platforms instead of fixed seabed foundations
    • Powers ~45,000 people

This project is important because France has deep coastal waters, making floating wind technology especially relevant.

2) Major projects and developments

Large-scale projects

  • Centre Manche 2 (Normandy)
    • Capacity: 1.5 GW
    • One of the largest offshore wind farms in France
    • Expected operation: ~2033
    • Can power ~1 million homes

Floating wind expansion

  • Government-approved plan:
    • 3 floating wind farms
    • Total capacity: 1.5 GW
    • Backed by €11 billion support scheme

3) National targets

France has very ambitious long-term goals:

  • By 2030: ~3.6 GW offshore wind
  • By 2035: +15 GW total offshore capacity planned
  • By 2050:
    • Around 40 GW offshore wind
    • ~50 offshore wind farms

Recent policy (2026)

  • New tenders launched for ~10 GW of offshore wind
    • ~5 GW fixed-bottom
    • ~5 GW floating

4) Why offshore wind matters for France

Energy transition

  • Reduce reliance on fossil fuels
  • Complement nuclear energy
  • Meet EU climate targets

Geography advantage

  • Long coastlines:
    • Atlantic Ocean
    • English Channel
    • Mediterranean Sea
  • Deep waters → ideal for floating wind farms

Energy security

  • Offshore wind is becoming more important due to:
    • energy price volatility
    • geopolitical risks affecting fossil fuels

5) Challenges

France faces several obstacles:

  • Slow permitting and legal processes
  • Local opposition (fishing, coastal views)
  • High costs, especially for floating wind
  • Supply chain constraints (turbines, cables)

These factors explain why France started later than northern European leaders.

6) Key points

  • France is not yet a leader, but is scaling up quickly
  • It is becoming a major future player, especially in floating offshore wind
  • The next decade (2025–2035) will be critical for expansion