RWE Renewables has pre-qualified as a bidder for the upcoming French tender for a commercial floating offshore wind project off the coast of South Brittany with a capacity of up to 270 megawatts (MW).
RWE said Thursday it was looking forward to participating in the competitive dialogue as the next stage of the tender process.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Wind Offshore: “As one of the global leading players in offshore wind, as RWE we are determined to contribute to the growth ambitions for offshore wind of the French government and to expand our market presence in France. We are delighted to be selected as qualified bidder for the floating offshore wind project in South Brittany.
"Our pioneering work in floating, combined with a 20 years’ track record in offshore wind and a very experienced team in France ensure that RWE is very well placed to supply green energy from floating offshore wind in close cooperation with local stakeholders.”
The floating offshore wind project in South Brittany will be the first commercial floating project in France. It will be located off the island Belle-Île and Île de Groix in South Brittany and installed in water depth of approximately 90 meters.
The final floating design for the project would be determined during the development phase.
"As in other European markets, RWE would closely cooperate with local stakeholders and national supply chain partners to deliver local benefits, jobs and investments, while investing in new renewable energy," RWE said.
Floating wind is a relatively new industry, with a little over 100MW of installed capacity today. However, according to World Energy Reports, the floating wind installed capacity will reach between 8 to 10 GW by the end of this decade, and next decade WER expects to see more than 60GW of floating wind farms commissioned.
