TotalEnergies has won the tender to develop France’s largest offshore wind farm, a 1.5-gigawatt project off the coast of Normandy, in partnership with Germany’s RWE. The award marks the French energy major’s first offshore wind success in its home market, where state-controlled EDF and Engie have traditionally dominated.
The €4.5 billion ($5.3 billion) project is expected to generate around six terawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply one million households. The state has set the tariff at €66 per megawatt-hour, reflecting a sharp increase from earlier tenders amid a 50% rise in construction costs.
TotalEnergies said it plans to reach a final investment decision in 2029, with production slated to begin in 2033. RWE has requested to exit the consortium for “strategic reasons,” but TotalEnergies expressed confidence it could find a replacement partner.
“This project reinforces our commitment to renewable energy in France,” said Isabelle Patrier, head of TotalEnergies France. “However, a new multiannual energy plan (PPE) is essential to reassure industry players and support future tenders.”
France, which currently operates just 1.5 GW of offshore wind capacity, aims to reach 45 GW by 2050 but has faced delays due to slow permitting and the absence of a revised energy framework. TotalEnergies currently operates 25 GW of renewable capacity worldwide, of which only 2 GW are in France, a figure expected to rise to 4 GW by 2030.
