The Government will launch a six-month consultation in November on “the four maritime facades of France”, in order to determine the possible areas for the development of offshore wind energy, the Minister of Energy Transition confirmed on Friday. “I will soon be launching a big public debate that will bring together all those who use the sea, fishermen, tourists, local authorities and, of course, renewable energy operators, to determine the best places to install “wind farms, declared Agnès Pannier-Runacher. during a visit to the Saint-Brieuc wind farm.
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: North Sea, Channel the Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean. The government’s goal is to “ensure that we can (…) combine [les champs éoliens] with fishing practices,” the minister indicated. At the end of the public debate, the ministry plans to launch a tender for the installation of offshore wind farms “that could reach a total of up to 10 gigawatts” and that could be launched “by the end of 2024.” , according to the minister.
About fifty long-term offshore wind fields
The launch of this wide-ranging consultation was revealed by Emmanuel Macron on Monday during his green planning announcement. The Government estimates that the grouping will save two years at the administrative level compared to separate procedures. The installed capacity of offshore wind energy 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 commitment is to have around 18 GW of wind electricity by 2035 and 40 GW by 2050. “I think it can be said that France has fallen behind in recent years,” admitted the minister. on Friday.
Source: BFM TV
