TotalEnergies to develop 'largest ever' French wind project but partner RWE pulls out
Oil major will push ahead with its first gigawatt-scale offshore wind project in France, but RWE pullout dampens party mood
French oil major TotalEnergies has won rights to develop a 1.5GW offshore wind farm located 40km off the coast of Normandy and will go ahead with what it says will be France’s "largest ever renewables project" despite a decision by German utility RWE to withdraw from the consortium.
TotalEnergies said production from the area known as Centre Manche 2 is expected to begin in 2033 — in line with the grid connection schedule committed by French transmission system operator RTE — and electricity will be sold at a competitive strike price of €66 ($79) per megawatt hour set in the AO8 tender.
TotalEnergies said it will develop the project “relying on its expertise in offshore wind and the management of large-scale marine energy projects”.
The company said it will continue the necessary studies to reach a final investment decision by early 2029.
“We are very proud to have won this tender for the construction of the largest renewable energy park in France to date,” stated chief executive Patrick Pouyanné.
The project is expected to represent a €4.5bn investment and generate significant jobs and economic benefits for the Normandy region.
“This project will be the largest investment made by TotalEnergies in France in decades and reflects our company’s deep commitment to our country," Pouyanné said.
TotalEnergies has stood out among big European oil companies by sticking to its plans to invest in renewable energy production, even as peers such as Shell and BP back-pedalled from earlier commitments of this kind.
TotalEnergies’ statement referred to the fact that RWE, following a strategic review of its own investments, had “expressed the wish to exit the consortium”, subject to French authorities’ approval.
“In any case, TotalEnergies will pursue the project, assuming all the commitments of the consortium, and will propose to bring a new partner into the project,” the oil giant said.
No bids for Oleron
Another area on offer, Oleron 1, did not attract bids at the end of the delayed allocation period for the AO7 round.
The area, located off mid-western France, was said to offer around 1GW of offshore wind capacity and was pencilled to enter into production in 2032.
An extension of this project, a floating offshore wind area called Oleron 2 had already been withdrawn from the planned AO9 tender, apparently after interest in Oleron 1 faded.
RWE was one of the companies that expressed interest in Oleron 1 during the qualification phase.
The area initially attracted a shortlist of nine potential bidders, but some doubts were expressed about site conditions, including water depth, soil type and winds. The French authorities have not yet signalled whether this area will be re-tendered.
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