The French government has announced the selection of 12 projects to participate in the latest offshore wind auction, AO9, which involves the construction of floating wind farms in various locations across the country. The selected projects, totalling 2.5 GW of capacity, are led by primarily European companies and consortiums, including French giants EDF, Engie, and TotalEnergies, as well as international players such as Germany’s RWE, Spain’s Iberdrola, and Italy’s Eni.

The AO9 auction focuses on the construction of three floating wind farms, each with a capacity between 400 and 550 MW, located off the south of Brittany and in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, one floating or fixed-bottom project of 1,000 to 1,250 MW will be located off the island of Oléron in the Atlantic. This is the first French auction to incorporate criteria from the new EU Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), aimed at boosting the competitiveness of European offshore wind energy in the face of growing international competition.

The 12 prequalified candidates were selected based on their technical and financial capabilities and include the following:

1. BayWa re
   
   
2. Elicio Group - Q ENERGY - Kansai Electric
   
   
3. EnBW Valeco Offshore
   
   
4. Grand Large Wind Turbines (EDF Renewables and Maple Power)
   
   
5. Iberdrola
   
   
6. Ocean Winds - Bank of the Territories
   
   
7. Oxan Energy and Ingka Investments
   
   
8. Plenitude & Qair
   
   
9. Parkwind
   
   
10. RWE Offshore Wind France
    
    
11. Skyborn - Octopus
    
    
12. TotalEnergies
    
    

The French government has stated that the winners will be announced in October 2025, with the projects expected to begin operations between 2032 and 2034.

The AO9 auction marks a crucial step in advancing offshore wind energy in France, aligning with the country's renewable energy and decarbonization goals. The selected areas, identified after public consultations held between 2021 and 2022, include locations off southern Brittany, the Gulf of Fos and Narbonnaise in the Mediterranean, and the Oléron Island site in the Atlantic.