Wind power in France

In 2017 France reached a total of 13,759 MW installed wind power capacity[1] placing France at that time as the world's eighth largest wind power nation by installed capacity, behind the United Kingdom and Canada and ahead of Italy and Brazil. According to the IEA the yearly wind production was 20.2 TWh in 2015, representing almost 23% of the 88.4 TWh from renewable sources in France during that year.[2] Furthermore wind provided for 4.3% of the country’s electricity demand out of the 18.7% provided by renewables in 2015.[2]

Wind turbines in Champagne-Ardenne.

France has the second largest wind potential in Europe.[3] The country's large wind power potential is due to its large land area and extensive agricultural landscape where turbines may be located more readily as well as access to considerable offshore resources.

Timeline of developments

2022

In February 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France was to build 50 offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of at least 40 GW by year 2050.[4]

2019

In 2019, Emmanuel Macron confirmed France’s pledge to add 1 GW offshore wind every year between 2020-2024 as laid out in France’s new draft energy plan (PPE).[5]

2016

While France has been a relative late developer in wind power compared to other European countries it has set the target of more than doubling onshore wind power capacity from 2015 levels by 2023.[2] Offshore wind power is scheduled to come online from 2018 for the first time and including marine energy could rise to up to 11.1 GW of power by 2023.[2] Realisation of these plans would more than likely see France overtake highly ranked Spain in terms of installed capacity by 2023.

2015

As of year end 2015 all wind power in France was onshore but as it met more opposition onshore, installations were proposed for offshore. The first 500 MW of offshore wind power is not due to come online until 2018. By year end 2015 the total onshore installed capacity of 10,358 MW consisted of 5,956 turbines, with the average turbine at just under 2 MW of power. Newer turbines may be larger following the development of wind power in the last decades.[1] The leading regions in France in 2015 were Champagne-Ardenne with an installed capacity of 1,682 MW, Picardie with 1,502 MW, Centre with 872 MW and Bretagne with 836 MW.[1]

2006

Installed capacity rises above 1 GW for the first time during the year.[1]

2001

The French government initially planned to produce 21% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2010 to comply with European directive 2001/77/CE of 27 September 2001. This means that France had to produce 106 TWh of renewable energy in 2010, up from 71 TWh in 2006. Wind power represents 75% of the 35 TWh additional production in 2010.[6]

Installed capacity
Wind turbines in the Aveyron department of the Midi-Pyrenees region of France
Year Installations (MW) Ref.
2002 0,148 [7]
2003 0,248 [7]
2004 0,390 [1]
2005 0,757 [1]
2006 1,711 [1]
2007 2,495 [1]
2008 3,577 [1]
2009 4,713 [1]
2010 5,977 [1]
2011 6,809 [1]
2012 7,613 [1]
2013 8,558 [1]
2014 9,285 [1]
2015 10,358 [1]
2016 12,066 [1]
2017 13,512 [1]
2018 15,108 [1]
2019 16,260 [1]

Future projections

Onshore
Projected onshore windpower in France[2]
2014 2018 2023 low 2023 high
Onshore wind power 9,300 MW 15,000 MW 21,800 MW 26,000 MW

Onshore wind power is projected to rise to 15,000 MW by 2018 and between a low target scenario of 21,800 MW and a high target scenario of 26,000 MW by 2023.[2]

Offshore
Projected offshore windpower and marine energy in France[2]
2014 2018 2023
Offshore wind power - 500 MW 3,000 MW, (an additional 500 to 6,000 MW to be deployed, following consultations

in the proposed zones, the outcome and results of the first projects and on the basis of costs).

Marine energy (floating wind

turbines, underwater turbines etc.)

 - - 100 MW (an additional 200 to 2,000 MW capacity deployed,depending on the outcome of the

trial projects and according to costs)

Total - 500 MW 3,100-11,100 MW

The first tranche of offshore wind power is expected to come on line in 2018 with 500 MW capacity. By 2023 another traditional 3,000 MW of capacity will come online with an additional 500 to 6,000 MW of performance dependent installation planned. Marine energy including floating wind turbines will add an additional 100 MW as well as an additional 200 to 2000 MW of capacity by 2023. Overall including marine energy offshore installed capacity will rise to between 3,100 and 11,100 MW by 2023. Since such installations damage ocean environments and interfere with safe navigation, fishing communities and other negatively impacted communities are fighting such installations.[8]

Offshore wind farms
See also: List of offshore wind farms in the North Sea

The following offshore windfarm projects listed have submitted their applications for consent.

Wind farm Cap.
(MW)		 Turbines Where Commissioning Build
Cost		 Cap.
fac.		 Depth
range (m)		 km to
shore		 Owner Refs.
Hautes Falaises (Fécamp) 498 83 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) 49.892°N 0.227°E / 49.892; 0.227 2023[9] €2000 million 25-31m 13 km EDF (SA) [10]
Calvados 450 75 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) 49.470°N 0.522°W / 49.470; -0.522 2024[11] €1800 million 21-30m 11 km EDF (SA) [12]
Banc du Guerande 480 80 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) 47.16°N 2.607°W / 47.16; -2.607 2022[13] €2000 million 10-21m 12 km EDF (SA) [14][15]
Projet eolien en Mer de la Baie de Saint-Brieuc 496 62 x 8 MW AD8-180 (Adwen) 48.854°N 2.537°W / 48.854; -2.537 2023[16] €2500 million 28-36m 16.3 km Caisses des depots et consignations [17]
  • "Cap." is the rated nameplate capacity of the wind farm
  • "When" is the year when the windfarm was commissioned and put into service.
  • "Cost" is the total capital cost of the project up to commissioning.
  • "Cap. Fac." is the average capacity factor, i.e. the average power generated by the windfarm, as a percentage of its nameplate capacity.
  • "km to shore" is the average distance of the windfarm to shore, or (where available) the distance from the in-farm transformer/substation to the shore
  • "Depth range (m)" is the range of minimum to maximum depths of water that the windfarm is sited in
  • "Refs" cite the source references for the information. The [w ...] footnotes link to each windfarm's own home page

Floating turbine test sites

France is operating a number of offshore test sites for prototype floating wind turbines which would allow turbines to be located in deeper waters. These include the Nenaphur test site,[18] the Nenuphar twin float,[19] the Floatgen Project[20] and the Sem-Rev Site d'Experimentation en Mer[21] which also tests wave energy converters.

On 30 April 2021, the French government launched a call for tenders for the first floating wind farm project in France. The wind farm is to be situated in southern Brittany and will generate between 230 and 270 MW when operating at capacity.[22]

See also

References
  1. "Wind energy production capacity France 2020". Statista.
  2. "Programmations pluriannuelles de l'énergie (PPE)". Ministère de la Transition écologique.
  3. "France". www.wind-energy-the-facts.org.
  4. Lough, Richard (10 February 2022). "Macron bets on nuclear in carbon-neutrality push, announces new reactors". Reuters.
  5. "Macron vows to accelerate France's offshore ambitions".
  6. source: Jérôme Gosset et Thierry Ranchin: Bilan et prospective de la filière éolienne française
  7. "France - Countries - Online access - The Wind Power - Wind energy Market Intelligence". www.thewindpower.net.
  8. "U.S. Fishermen Are Making Their Last Stand Against Offshore Wind". Time. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  9. "Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm, Seine-Maritime".
  10. http://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/parc-%C3%A9olien-en-mer-de-f%C3%A9camp-france-fr34.html
  11. "France's Calvados Offshore Wind Farm Enters Construction Phase". 22 February 2021.
  12. http://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/parc-%C3%A9olien-en-mer-du-calvados-france-fr35.html.
  13. "Construction Heats up at France's First Offshore Wind Farm". 30 August 2021.
  14. http://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/parc-%C3%A9olien-en-mer-de-saint-nazaire-france-fr37.html
  15. "French offshore wind gets rolling with flagship turbine for Saint-Nazaire | Recharge". Recharge | Latest renewable energy news. 15 September 2020.
  16. "Saint-Brieuc: Iberdrola's first large-scale offshore wind power project in Brittany".
  17. http://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/projet-%c3%a9olien-en-mer-de-la-baie-de-saint-brieuc-france-fr36.html
  18. "France Energies Marines".
  19. "INFLOW".
  20. "Floatgen". Floatgen.
  21. "SEM-REV - SITE D'EXPERIMENTATION EN MER - MARINE TEST SITE Floating Wind Farm - Fully Commissioned - France | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com.
  22. "Offshore wind energy in France: The competitive dialogue procedure in a fast-growing industry".
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