FRENCH EXPLORE WIND OFFSHORE

French Companies Pick 30 Sites to Vie for Offshore Wind Farms
Tara Patel, December 13, 2010 (Bloomberg News)

"French companies have identified about 30 sites for development of offshore wind farms as the government prepares tenders for 3,000 megawatts of projects…

"Most of the sites are located in the English Channel, where two farms are already being planned, according to [Rapport PwC 2011 – Eolien offshore : vers la création d’une filière industrielle française?] by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP…France doesn’t currently have any offshore wind capacity…"

Offshore wind will overtake onshore wind in Europe in about 2027 (click to enlarge)

"France will seek bids for 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind farms that could cost about 10 billion euros ($13.3 billion) to develop…French Industry Minister Eric Besson said this month details of the projects will be published by the end of the year. France has a target to install 6,000 megawatts of offshore turbines by 2020…

"Offshore wind projects are based on cost estimates of 3.5 million euros a megawatt compared with less than half that for turbines erected on land…European offshore wind capacity will surpass land turbines after 2026, the study indicates…"

France has 3 particularly promising offshore wind regions (click to enlarge)

"GDF Suez SA, owner of the French natural-gas network, is planning a 1.8 billion-euro wind park off northern France, which was assessed for its environmental impact. During the hearings, the utility offered to move turbines so they are less visible from land and more ‘compatible’ with fishing in the area. GDF Suez has to say in January whether it will go ahead with the project…

"Compagnie du Vent, GDF Suez’s wind unit, selected a site about 14 kilometers (9 miles) off Le Treport in northern France, as it plans the 705-megawatt wind-farm project known as the Deux Cotes…Other French sites also considered favorable are further west including one near Utah beach in Normandy, where allied troops invaded occupied France during World War II…"