Wind power in France
In 2021 France reached a total of 18,676 megawatts (MW) installed wind power capacity[1] placing France at that time as the world's seventh largest wind power nation by installed capacity, behind the United Kingdom and Brazil and ahead of Canada and Italy. According to the IEA the yearly wind production was 20.2 TWh in 2015, representing almost 23% of the 88.4 TWh from renewable sources in France during that year.[2] Wind provided 4.3% of the country's electricity demand in 2015.[2]
France has the second largest wind potential in Europe.[3] The country's large wind power potential is due to its large land area and extensive agricultural landscape where turbines may be located more readily as well as access to considerable offshore resources.
Timeline of developments
2022
In February 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France was to build 50 offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of at least 40 GW by 2050.[4]
2019
In 2019, Emmanuel Macron confirmed France's pledge to add 1 GW offshore wind every year between 2020 and 2024 as laid out in France's new draft energy plan (PPE).[5]
2016
While France has been a relative late developer in wind power compared to other European countries it has set the target of more than doubling onshore wind power capacity from 2015 levels by 2023.[2] Offshore wind power is scheduled to come online from 2018 for the first time and including marine energy could rise to up to 11.1 GW of power by 2023.[2] Realisation of these plans would more than likely see France overtake highly ranked Spain in terms of installed capacity by 2023.
2015
By year-end 2015 the total onshore installed capacity of 10,358 MW consisted of 5,956 turbines, with the average turbine at just under 2 MW of power. Newer turbines may be larger following the development of wind power in the last decades.[6] The leading regions in France in 2015 were Champagne-Ardenne with an installed capacity of 1,682 MW, Picardie with 1,502 MW, Centre with 872 MW and Bretagne with 836 MW.[6]
2006
Installed capacity rises above 1 GW for the first time during the year.[6]
2001
The French government initially planned to produce 21% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2010 to comply with European directive 2001/77/CE of 27 September 2001. This means that France had to produce 106 TWh of renewable energy in 2010, up from 71 TWh in 2006. Wind power represents 75% of the 35 TWh additional production in 2010.[7]
Installed capacity
Year | Installations (MW) | Ref. |
---|---|---|
2002 | 148 | [8] |
2003 | 248 | [8] |
2004 | 390 | [6] |
2005 | 757 | [6] |
2006 | 1,711 | [6] |
2007 | 2,495 | [6] |
2008 | 3,577 | [6] |
2009 | 4,713 | [6] |
2010 | 5,977 | [6] |
2011 | 6,809 | [6] |
2012 | 7,613 | [6] |
2013 | 8,558 | [6] |
2014 | 9,285 | [6] |
2015 | 10,358 | [6] |
2016 | 12,066 | [6] |
2017 | 13,512 | [6] |
2018 | 15,108 | [6] |
2019 | 16,260 | [6] |
2020 | 17,382 | [9] |
2021 | 18,676 | [1] |
Future projections
Onshore
2014 | 2018 | 2023 low | 2023 high | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Onshore wind power | 9,300 MW | 15,000 MW | 21,800 MW | 26,000 MW |
Onshore wind power is projected to rise to 15,000 MW by 2018 and between a low target scenario of 21,800 MW and a high target scenario of 26,000 MW by 2023.[2]
Offshore
Between 2004 and 2011, high price and local fishing communities prevented some projects in the public ocean domain. After 2013, information was improved, and permissioning was moved from local to national regulatory authority.[10]
The commercial offshore wind power project came on line in 2022 with 480 MW capacity.[11] By 2023 another traditional 3,000 MW of capacity is expected to come online with an additional 500 to 6,000 MW of performance dependent installation planned. Marine energy including floating wind turbines will add an additional 100 MW as well as an additional 200 to 2000 MW of capacity by 2023. Overall including marine energy offshore installed capacity will rise to between 3,100 and 11,100 MW by 2023. French law requires owners to decommission facilities at their end-of-life.[10]
Offshore wind farms
The following offshore windfarm projects listed have submitted their applications for consent.
Wind farm | Coordinates | Cap. (MW) |
Turbines | Commissioning | Build Cost |
Depth range (m) |
km to shore |
Owner | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Banc de Guérande | 47.16°N 2.607°W | 480 | 80 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) | 2022[12] | €2000 million | 10-21m | 12 km | EDF (SA) | [13][14] |
Projet eolien en Mer de la Baie de Saint-Brieuc | 48.854°N 2.537°W | 496 | 62 x 8 MW AD8-180 (Adwen) | 2023[15] | €2500 million | 28-36m | 16.3 km | Caisses des depots et consignations | [16][17] |
Hautes Falaises (Fécamp) | 49.892°N 0.227°E | 498 | 83 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) | 2023 (planned)[18] | €2000 million | 25-31m | 13 km | EDF (SA) | [19] |
Calvados | 49.470°N 0.522°W | 448 | 75 x 6 MW Haliade 150-6MW (GE Energy) | 2024 (planned)[20][21] | €1800 million | 21-30m | 11 km | EDF (SA) | [22] |
Dieppe Le Tréport | 50°9′N 1°7′E | 496 | 62 x 8 MW Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD | 2025 (planned) | €2000 million | 14-24m | 15.5 km | [23] | |
Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier | 46°52′8.8″N 2°30′36.7″W | 496 | 62 x 8 MW Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD | 2025 (planned) | €2000 million | 19-36m | 11.7 km | [24] | |
|
Floating turbine test sites
France is operating a number of offshore test sites for prototype floating wind turbines which would allow turbines to be located in deeper waters. These include the Nenaphur test site,[25] the Nenuphar twin float,[26] the Floatgen Project[27] and the Sem-Rev Site d'Experimentation en Mer[28] which also tests wave energy converters.
On 30 April 2021, the French government launched a call for tenders for the first floating wind farm project in France. The wind farm is to be situated in southern Brittany and will generate between 230 and 270 MW when operating at capacity.[29]
See also
References
- "Renewable Energy Capacity Statistics 2022" (PDF).
- "Programmations pluriannuelles de l'énergie (PPE)". Ministère de la Transition écologique.
- "France". www.wind-energy-the-facts.org.
- Lough, Richard (10 February 2022). "Macron bets on nuclear in carbon-neutrality push, announces new reactors". Reuters.
- "Macron vows to accelerate France's offshore ambitions".
- "Wind energy production capacity France 2020". Statista.
- source: Jérôme Gosset et Thierry Ranchin: Bilan et prospective de la filière éolienne française
- "France - Countries - Online access - The Wind Power - Wind energy Market Intelligence". www.thewindpower.net.
- "Renewable Energy Capacity Statistics 2021" (PDF).
- "Offshore wind energy in France | CMS Expert Guides". cms.law. May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022.
- Williams, Nia (2022-11-23). "France's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm starts full operations". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
- "Construction Heats up at France's First Offshore Wind Farm". 30 August 2021.
- "Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm". Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- "French offshore wind gets rolling with flagship turbine for Saint-Nazaire | Recharge". Recharge | Latest renewable energy news. 15 September 2020.
- "Saint-Brieuc: Iberdrola's first large-scale offshore wind power project in Brittany".
- "Saint-Brieuc Offshore Wind Farm - Partial Generation/Under Construction - France | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
- "Iberdrola's Saint-Brieuc wind farm generates first power". Power Technology. July 7, 2023.
- "Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm, Seine-Maritime".
- "Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm". Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- "France's Calvados Offshore Wind Farm Enters Construction Phase". 22 February 2021.
- Memija, Adnan (29 August 2022). "Recyclable Blades Ordered for French Offshore Wind Farm". Offshore Wind.
- "Calvados Offshore Wind Farm". Archived from the original on 2017-02-24.
- "Le projet en bref". Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- "Le parc en bref". Éoliennes en Mer des Îles d'Yeu et de Noirmoutier (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- "France Energies Marines".
- "INFLOW".
- "Floatgen". Floatgen.
- "SEM-REV - SITE D'EXPERIMENTATION EN MER - MARINE TEST SITE Floating Wind Farm - Fully Commissioned - France | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com.
- "Offshore wind energy in France: The competitive dialogue procedure in a fast-growing industry".