TotalEnergies has won a tender to develop and build a 1.5 gigawatt wind farm off the coast of Normandy in a consortium with Germany’s RWE, marking France’s largest such project to date.
The project represents an investment of approximately $5.3 billion, excluding grid connection costs. According to Isabelle Patrier, head of TotalEnergies France, “TotalEnergies is proud to be French and invest in France, but in effect a new PPE is necessary to reassure industry players and launch new tenders”.
The wind farm will produce six terawatt hours of electricity annually, supplying the equivalent of one million households. The French government set the tariff at 66 euros per megawatt hour, reflecting a 50% rise in construction costs. TotalEnergies expects to make a final investment decision in early 2029, with power production to begin in 2033.
RWE has requested permission to exit the project for strategic reasons. TotalEnergies said it will still pursue the project, assuming all the commitments of the consortium, and will propose to bring a new partner into the project. “We don’t imagine not being able to find a new partner if RWE leaves, because we know certain developers are already interested in the project,” Patrier said.
The project will benefit the European industry, with TotalEnergies intending to source primarily from European suppliers, particularly for wind turbines and electrical cables. TotalEnergies has committed to offering 500,000 hours of work to apprentices and individuals in professional reintegration. Up to 2,500 people will be employed during the three years of construction.
TotalEnergies has also committed to making this project exemplary in terms of recycling offshore wind farm components. The company plans to engage the local economic ecosystem, which has already developed expertise in offshore wind. “This project will be the largest investment made by TotalEnergies in France in the past 30 years,” the company said.
The project will strengthen TotalEnergies’ renewable energy portfolio in France, a market the company has previously deemed less competitive due to slow permitting processes. TotalEnergies aims to reach 4 GW of renewable capacity in France by 2030, up from 2 GW currently.
