EU approves support for French floating offshore wind farms

Different technological solutions will be tested, with the goal of deploying them on a larger scale

The European Commission has given the green light for the French Government’s plans to support four demonstration floating offshore wind farms.

They will consist of three to four turbines – installed in the sea on floaters – and will each have a total installed capacity of 24MW.

The Groix Belle Ile project will be located in the Atlantic Ocean, while the other three projects, Golf du Lion, Eolmed and Provence Grand Large will be located in the Mediterranean Sea.

Each of the four demonstration projects will use a particular combination of turbine, floater and cables, testing the different technological solutions with the goal of deploying them on a larger scale.

The turbines will be interconnected with each other and connected to land through an underwater cable.

The Commission said the projects will promote the use of renewable electricity and help France meet its climate targets, without distorting competition.

It recently launched an in-depth investigation into the UK’s Capacity Market following the EU Court’s landmark ruling which led to the suspension of the scheme last November.

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