The 5 proposals of the sector to accelerate French wind power at sea

What France Energie Eolienne and the Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables are aiming for is to reach 50 GW of installed capacity in France by 2050 in terms of energy from the wind off the coast.

In numbers

France Energie Eolienne (FEE) represents all players in the French wind power sector. The target that this association and the Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables (SER) are highlighting does not come out of nowhere. It is based on figures sometimes released by the community authorities themselves. For example, the 300 GW that the European Commission calls for the same deadline of 2050 for its vast territory.

With its 3,500 kilometers of coastline, metropolitan France ranks second in Europe in terms of exploitable offshore wind resources. The 50 GW of installations would occupy only 2.8% of the metropolitan maritime space, for non-exclusive use. This is why the Prime Minister indicated last January, during the last Interministerial Committee for the Sea (Cimer), that the potential for our country is between 49 and 57 GW.

This was confirmed by RTE in October. Its study entitled “Energy Futures 2050” goes even further by setting, in its most favorable scenario, a limit of 62 GW.

An essential source of energy

If the 2 organizations are committed to formulating 5 proposals that appear immediately acceptable, it is also because offshore wind power is essential as an essential source of energy to guarantee the security of electricity supply and achieve carbon neutrality. in 2050.

Currently, only the floating demonstrator Floatgen, off Le Croisic (44), is in operation in France. But between 2022 and 2025, 7 parks and 4 pilot farms will be commissioned, for respectively 3.6 GW and 120 MW of installed capacity.

The latest call for tenders, awarded in 2019 for an offshore wind project near Dunkirk, displays a price of 44 euros per megawatt, which demonstrates that this source is among the most competitive on the market. It also provides a great opportunity for economic and industrial development. At the end of 2020, the renewable marine energy sector had more than 4,800 direct jobs in our country, up 59% compared to 2019.

1 – Planning

First of the 5 proposals formulated by the SER and FEE: to develop in 2022 the spatial planning of the deployment of offshore wind power. The 2 organizations are convinced of this: only precise programming, "steered by the State by involving players in the maritime world, will allow a more ambitious deployment of offshore wind power". It would already make it possible to recover spaces that are currently mobilized, in particular by the army.

Planning would also have the role of organizing coexistence with other uses, whether existing or future. Thus for fishing, extraction of aggregates, tourism, boating, etc. All this, “while ensuring the maintenance of the good ecological state of the marine environment and marine biodiversity”.

It would also be a question of saving time on the qualification of the sites, by defining interesting zones according to the deposit in wind, the swell, the depth, the composition of the soils, the fauna, the flora, etc. . Thus, 10,000 km2 could be identified for deployment starting in 2023.

2 – 18 GW for 2035

Setting a goal in almost 30 years is already a good thing. But that is not enough. A roadmap with staggered constraints is much more effective. It is on the basis of this certainty that the 2 organizations have calculated a level of 18 GW for 2035. Their simulation is consistent with 5 of the 6 scenarios envisaged by RTE.

As a reminder, the multiannual energy program (PPE) indicated annual growth of 0.7 GW between 2019 and 2023, then 1 GW from 2024 to 2028. On this 2nd tranche, SER ^and FEE propose an increase to 2 GW, then at 2.5 GW until 2050.

"This trajectory is quite realistic considering the pace of development planned by our European neighbours, between 2 GW and 3 GW per year of offshore wind power", underline the 2 organizations.

3 – Changing the scale of projects and consultation

In order to accelerate a virtuous and coherent development of offshore wind power, France Energie Eolienne and the Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables want the decompartmentalization of offshore wind farm projects. Why? Quite simply so that each new experience acquired can benefit the projects that will follow.

This is the reason why the sector proposes to strengthen information, but also the consultation of the stakeholders. In particular through the organization of public debates on a 10-year trajectory of offshore wind power, for each of the 4 maritime facades.

According to the SER and FEE, the sessions set up by the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) since 1995 have shown their limits by intervening late and individually, project by project, even when several of them take place on geographically close territories. Not only is the public struggling to take ownership of the programs, but the professionals also have too little visibility to get involved comfortably.

4 – Anticipate and undertake infrastructure transformation

The fourth proposal requires planning with RTE for the specific development of an offshore electricity network. However, the latter must be consistent with the terrestrial system and provide for shared connections of several parks, including with neighboring countries with the aim of creating interconnections.

One of the first benefits of this strategy is to optimize costs and uses. At the local level, the aim would be to associate the ports concerned and their ecosystems with the projects.

An example of highlighting synergies: launching in the short term demonstrators of green hydrogen production units in conjunction with offshore wind farms. This presupposes removing any obstacles.

5 – Adapt the economic and regulatory framework

The development of offshore wind power in France can only rely on a secure, stable and efficient regulatory and economic framework. Its interest is both to reassure investors and to maintain the competitiveness of the French sector. Today, depending on the distance of the future parks from the coast, the steps to obtain the necessary administrative authorizations are different.

Moreover, a good framework will be likely to reduce delays, especially when oppositions are issued, most often by minority groups. But also concerning studies of risk removal, competitive dialogue, etc.

The SER and FEE ensure that the additional remuneration mechanism must be maintained: "it facilitates the financing of projects by ensuring the stability of producers' incomes, it preserves the attractiveness of the French offshore wind market and could even greatly benefit our public finances ".

Source: fee.asso.fr