France’s offshore wind industry is gaining momentum as new windmill projects, policies, and investments take shape. The country has 3,500 kilometres of coastline and strong maritime winds that make it one of Europe’s most promising markets for offshore wind. The French government has set clear goals to boost offshore wind capacity to 18 GW by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050.

According to Blackridge’s France offshore wind database, France operates five offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of about 1.5 GW including  Saint-Nazaire (480 MW) and Saint-Brieuc (496 MW) and Fécamp offshore wind farm (497 MW). Another five projects, totalling 1.03 GW, are under construction, while three more have been approved and seven are in the planning stage.

France has implemented some important legal and regulatory reforms, this includes the APER Law and the Green Industry Law, designed to accelerate wind power capacity. Also, France has set ambitious wind energy targets of achieving 40 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2050 and awarding 10 GW annually by 2025.

This article explores the top seven upcoming wind farms set to transform wind energy in France. 

List of Top 7 Largest Upcoming Windmills in France 2025

Centre Manche 2 Offshore Wind Farm

The Centre Manche 2 Offshore Wind Project is the largest upcoming offshore wind farm in France in 2025. The planned wind farm in the English Channel is located approximately 43 km off the coast of Normandy, France. The offshore wind farm will span a surface area of 270 km² and is expected to deliver clean energy to power approximately 1.7 million homes annually.

The Centre Manche 2 offshore wind farm will feature an installed capacity of 1500 MW. The wind farm is expected to produce around 6.1 TWh of renewable electricity each year reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Development of the project started with the public consultations held between 2019 and 2020. 

Later, the "Centre Manche" zone was identified for offshore wind development, leading to the launch of a competitive tendering process (AO8) in 2022. Hitachi Energy has been chosen to deliver its advanced HVDC Light® technology for the Centre Manche 2 offshore wind project in France.

In September 2025, TotalEnergies, in partnership with RWE, won the “Centre Manche 2” offshore wind tender in France, marking the company’s largest investment in the country in 30 years at around EUR 4.5 billion. TotalEnergies, serving as operator, plans to reach a final investment decision (FID) by early 2029, with production expected to start in 2033.

Centre Manche 1 Wind Farm

The Centre Manche 1 Offshore Wind Project is a planned 1 GW wind farm located more than 32 kilometers off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. The wind project is developed by Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie, a joint venture between EDF Renewables and Maple Power. The wind farm is set to start construction in 2027 and expected to be commissioned by 2031.

In March 2023, Eoliennes en Mer Manche Normandie was awarded the contract after a competitive bidding process launched by France’s Ministry of Energy Transition. The wind farm developer outperformed five other pre-qualified consortia, including major players such as Iberdrola, Ocean Winds, Shell, and a joint venture between TotalEnergies and RWE. EDF Renewables and Maple Power offered a strike price of less than EUR 45 per MWh. 

One of the largest upcoming windmills in France will have a maximum of 37 to 47 offshore wind turbines installed over an area of ​​183 km². The wind farm is expected to generate around 4.5 million MWh annually, enough to power 1.5 million people (80,000 french households). 

The project will be connected to the onshore grid via a high-capacity DC export cable linking to the Menuel substation. Energy and marine consultancy ABL will act as the marine warranty surveyor for the wind farm. EDF Renewables and Maple Power are experienced leaders in this sector, having successfully developed France's first offshore wind farm in Saint-Nazaire (480 MW), along with projects like Fécamp (497 MW) and Calvados (450 MW).

In March 2025, Nexans signed a EUR 1 billion-plus framework agreement with RTE to design, manufacture, and supply HVDC cables for connecting France’s Centre Manche 1 & 2 and Oléron offshore wind farms to the national transmission grid. The final contract value will depend on confirmed quantities and subcontractor selections during upcoming EPCI phases.

Oléron Wind Farm 1

The Oléron 1 Offshore Wind Project is a proposed 1,000 MW wind farm located approximately 40 kilometers off the Île d'Oléron in the Bay of Biscay, France. The wind project is part of the larger Sud-Atlantique Offshore Wind Initiative (AO7) which focuses to capitalize on the deep water wind for renewable energy. The construction of the wind farm is set to begin in 2026-2027 and commissioning of the project is expected in 2032. 

Oléron 1 is part of France's broader strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Together with its counterpart, Oléron 2, the two projects will generate between 1.9 and 2.3 GW of clean energy. This initiative aligns with France's goal of commissioning 50 offshore wind farms by 2050, totaling 40 GW of capacity. 

The wind farm will cover an area of 180 km² and will be situated at an average depth of 60 meters. This makes it the furthest offshore wind project from the French coast, presenting unique engineering and logistical challenges. The designated zone is outside the Gironde Estuary and Pertuis Sea Marine Park. 

Plans to build the Oléron 1 Offshore Wind have stalled after the AO7 tender closed without receiving any bids in September 2025. Despite nine developers prequalifying, including Skyborn Renewables, none submitted proposals due to tight timelines, pricing challenges, and site constraints.

Dunkirk Wind Farm

The Dunkirk Offshore Wind Farm is a 600 MW renewable energy project located in the English Channel, off the coast of Hauts-de-France, France. Currently, the project is in the permitting stage and is set to begin construction in 2026. The wind farm developed by the Éoliennes en Mer de Dunkerque (EMD) consortium, a joint venture between EDF Renewables (40%), Enbridge (30%), and RWE Renewables (30%), will reach commercial operation by 2028. 

The wind farm will have an area of 50 km² and feature up to 46 offshore wind turbines mounted on fixed monopile foundations. These turbines spaced approximately 1 km apart will be located at least 10 km off the coast of Dunkirk and 11.4 km from nearby Belgian seaside towns. The turbines standing between 240 and 300 meters tall will harness the region’s strong wind conditions and shallow waters with depths under 30 meters.

Once operational, the Dunkirk wind farm is expected to generate around 2.3 TWh of electricity generation annually. It is enough to power approximately 950,000 households, covering over a third of the population of the Nord département.

Narbonnaise Floating Wind Farm and Extension

Narbonnaise Floating Offshore Wind Farm is part of France’s floating wind farms tender in 2022 for two 250 MW projects in the Mediterranean Sea. The project is set to be located over 25 kilometers off the Narbonne coast in Occitanie, within an allocated area of 48 km². Planned for commissioning by 2031 and the wind project significantly contributes to France’s renewable energy targets. 

The Narbonnaise project includes an extension phase with an additional 500 MW offshore wind power capacity. The extension will be situated more than 30 kilometers off the Aude coast. This expansion will cover an area of 96 km², meeting around 10% of the total electricity consumption for the Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur régions.

The selection of the site followed extensive environmental studies to ensure minimal impact on the local ecosystem. In October 2025, Eiffage, through its Belgian subsidiary Smulders (Eiffage Métal), secured an EPCIC contract from France’s transmission system operator RTE for the design and construction of three offshore AC substations. These substations will support the Bretagne Sud (AO5), Narbonnaise Sud-Hérault, and Golfe de Fos (AO6) offshore wind farms, along with their planned A09 extensions.

Dieppe-Le Treport Wind Farm

The Dieppe-Le Tréport Offshore Wind Farm is a 496 MW project under construction in the English Channel off the coasts of Dieppe and Le Tréport in Normandy, France. The offshore wind project is developed by Éoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport (EMDT), a consortium formed by Engie (31%), EDP Renewables (29.5%), Sumitomo Corporation (29.5%), and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (10%). 

The Dieppe-Le Tréport Offshore wind farm has an estimated EUR 2 billion investment and aims to generate enough renewable energy to supply approximately 850,000 people annually. The wind farm will feature 62 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW offshore wind turbines and generate an average of 2,000 GWh per year. 

Power generated from the wind farm will be transmitted via an offshore high-voltage station (OHVS) and subsea cables to the onshore grid. This infrastructure includes two 225 kV subsea cables and a 23 km subsea section, followed by a 3.5 km underground link to the Grande-Sole substation in Petit-Caux. A 400 kV underground connection will distribute electricity to the Penly substation. 

Key contractors include Siemens Gamesa for turbine supply, DEME for foundation installation, and Nexans for cable production and installation, supported by engineering firms such as Ramboll and Empire Engineering. Construction of the wind farm commenced in 2024, and full operational status is expected by the second half of 2026.

In September 2025, Nexans completed the final export cable campaign for the 496 MW Dieppe Le Tréport offshore wind farm in France, developed by Eoliennes en Mer Dieppe Le Tréport (EMDT), a joint venture between Ocean Winds, Sumitomo Corporation, and Banque des Territoires. Earlier, in July 2025, the project achieved another milestone with the installation of its offshore substation (OSS) at a site located 15 kilometres off Le Tréport and 17 kilometres off Dieppe.

Bretagne Sud II Offshore Wind Power Plant

The Bretagne Sud II Offshore Wind Power Plant is a proposed floating offshore wind project planned in the Bay of Biscay, off the southern coast of Brittany, France. It is designed to deliver between 400 and 550 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, enough to power the annual consumption of more than 900,000 residents. The wind farm will cover an area of around 225 square kilometres, situated approximately 20 kilometres from the coast.

Launched in August 2024, the AO9 tender includes four offshore wind zones and has attracted strong interest from major international players. Twelve developers have been prequalified, including RWE, BayWa r.e., Iberdrola, TotalEnergies, and a consortium formed by Elicio, Q ENERGY, and Kansai Electric. The tender winner is expected to be announced by the end of 2025.

Following the award, the selected consortium will move into detailed planning, environmental studies, and permitting before construction begins. The project’s commissioning is expected between 2032 and 2034.

France Wind Energy: Offshore Wind Power Overview

France is an emerging player in European offshore wind energy. The country now aims to reach 18 GW of offshore wind power capacity by 2035 and an ambitious 40 GW by 2050, aligning with its national energy strategy and European Green Deal commitments. There are key developments by the French government in wind projects including eight rounds of tenders that reflect a structured plan to expand France’s wind energy capacity. 

Offshore wind projects from the first round in 2012, such as Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Brieuc, Fécamp, and Courseulles-sur-Mer, are either operational or nearing completion, contributing over 2 GW of capacity. Subsequent rounds have introduced additional projects including floating offshore wind farms with commissioning dates around the early 2030s.

France plans to launch its tenth offshore wind tender (AO10) in the coming months, targeting 8–10 GW. The tender includes two fixed-bottom and three floating wind farms off Fécamp, Brittany, the Gulf of Biscay, and the Mediterranean. Contracts are expected to be awarded by fall 2026, contributing to France’s goal of 18 GW by 2035 and 45 GW by 2050. 

France's wind energy market holds a great investment potential supported by a clear legal framework and government-backed incentives. Efforts to diversify ownership and ensure competitive tender processes aim to foster innovation and maintain market stability. 

With a roadmap laid out in the upcoming multi-year energy plan (PPE 3) for 2024-2033, France is positioned to become a European leader in offshore and onshore wind energy. This commitment not only strengthens its energy security but also supports broader goals of reducing carbon emissions and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

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