BayWa r.e. and Elicio, winners of the French floating wind auction
The ‘Pennavel’ floating offshore wind project is set to become a cornerstone of the region’s energy landscape.
This award is a significant milestone for European offshore wind energy, as until now only pilot and demonstration projects had been developed.
In a landmark milestone for the global energy transition, the consortium between Elicio and BayWa r.e. has been announced as winner of the AO5 tender in France to develop the world’s first commercial floating offshore wind farm, by Bruno le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate for Industry and Energy.
The award is the outcome of a competitive tender process initiated in 2021 for an offshore floating wind project with a capacity between 230 and 270 MW, located in the south of Brittany off the coast of Lorient.
The ‘Pennavel’ floating offshore wind project is set to become a cornerstone of the region’s energy landscape. The wind farm is expected to generate approximately 30% of Brittany’s current renewable energy production and power over 450,000 inhabitants annually, making a significant contribution to the region’s sustainable growth.
Pennavel will be the first commercial floating wind farm in the world to be awarded a long-term Contract for Difference (CfD). The project benefits from a secured grid connection with RTE, the French transmission system operator, who is responsible for the transmission assets including offshore substation and export cables.
