A consortium led by TotalEnergies has won the tender to develop a 1.5-gigawatt offshore wind farm off the coast of Normandy, marking the largest project of its kind in France to date.
The €4.5 billion ($5.3 billion) scheme (excluding grid costs) represents a major boost to TotalEnergies’ renewable energy portfolio in its home market, where progress has been slower than in Britain and Germany due to lengthy permitting procedures. Once completed, the wind farm is expected to generate six terawatt-hours of electricity annually—enough to supply one million households.
The award comes in the wake of the outgoing French government’s collapse earlier this month before it could publish new energy legislation to guide future tenders. France, currently lagging behind EU renewable energy targets, has just 1.5 GW of offshore wind capacity in operation, far short of its 2050 goal of 45 GW.
“This project demonstrates TotalEnergies’ commitment to investing in France, but a new multi-year energy plan is urgently needed to reassure industry players and launch further tenders,” said Isabelle Patrier, head of TotalEnergies France.
The project is TotalEnergies’ first offshore wind award in France, a space previously dominated by EDF and Engie. Of the company’s 25 GW of renewable capacity worldwide, only 2 GW are in France—set to double to 4 GW by 2030.
The tariff has been fixed at €66 per megawatt-hour, reflecting a sharp increase in construction costs, estimated by Total to have risen by around 50%. The company expects to take a final investment decision in early 2029, with power production slated to begin in 2033.
Meanwhile, German utility RWE has announced it will withdraw from the consortium following a strategic review of its portfolio. The move requires regulatory approval. TotalEnergies said it could proceed alone if necessary but expects to find a replacement partner, with several developers already expressing interest.
