Where to install wind turbines at sea? The consultation will begin in November on the 4 maritime facades of France

The government will launch in November a six-month consultation on "the four maritime facades of France", in order to determine the possible development areas of offshore wind energy, the Minister of Energy Transition confirmed on Friday September 29 .

“I will soon launch a major public debate which will bring together all those who use the sea, fishermen, tourists, local authorities, and obviously renewable energy operators to determine which are the best places to install” wind farms, declared Agnès Pannier-Runacher during a visit to the wind farm off Saint-Brieuc.

This group consultation, which must be carried out by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), must result in "a mapping of areas suitable for our future parks on the four maritime facades" of the metropolis: the North Sea, the Channel, the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

The government's objective is to "ensure that we can (...) combine [wind farms] with fishing practices", indicated the minister.

At the end of the public debate, the ministry plans to launch a call for tenders for the installation of offshore wind farms "which could reach a total of up to 10 gigawatts" and which could be launched "by the end of 2024", according to the minister.

The launch of this vast consultation was revealed by Emmanuel Macron on Monday during his announcement of ecological planning.

The government estimates that the grouping will save two years on the administrative level compared to separate procedures.

The installed capacity of maritime wind power in France reached 1 gigawatt as of March 31, according to data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

A dozen projects are already planned in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the English Channel and the North Sea, for a total power of 6,3 GW, according to the government website www.eoliennesenmer.fr

In total, the State's commitments are to have some 18 GW of wind electricity by 2035 and 40 GW in 2050.

“I think we have to say that France has fallen behind in recent years,” the minister admitted on Friday.

“The ambition that I have with the President of the Republic is to ultimately have around fifty marine wind farms in France,” she added.