France’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has approved the grid connection procedure and model connection agreement for the offshore wind generation facilities included in the PPE3 project group of France’s AO10 tender, according to a CRE announcement published.

The framework will apply to the PPE3 projects covered by the tender: Fécamp Grand Large 1 to 3, Bretagne NO, Oléron 1, and Golfe du Lion Centre 1a, 1b and 2. The AO10 tender specifications, published on June 12, 2026, provide for a progressive connection agreement to be signed in three stages, without a technical and financial proposal for these projects.

The approval follows work by French transmission system operator RTE to adapt its connection agreement model for offshore wind generation. According to the CRE, the changes aim to establish a contractual framework specifically for offshore wind that takes into account the new offshore connection procedure, incorporate the parameters of the tender specifications, clarify the timing of commitments between RTE and the producer, establish a liability regime adapted to the staged signing process, and specify the treatment of shared substations.

RTE worked with producers to develop the connection procedure and model agreement alongside the preparation of the tender specifications. It held a public consultation from March 10 to April 7, 2026, before submitting draft versions of the procedure and model agreement to the CRE on July 22. The drafts took into account comments received from producers.

The CRE said it welcomed RTE’s proposal for a simplified and dedicated procedure tailored to the tender. The three-stage connection agreement is designed to allow commitments between RTE and producers to increase progressively, ensuring that each party has the necessary information and elements to advance its respective part of the project at each stage.

The regulator also highlighted RTE’s efforts to take producers’ constraints into account, including an evolving liability cap and the phasing over time of commitments, which the CRE said allows for a balanced agreement model.

The CRE approved both the connection agreement model and the connection procedure submitted by RTE. The decisions were adopted on September 10, 2026, and published by the regulator on September 16.