France has awarded almost €260 million to five ports to upgrade infrastructure for floating offshore wind turbines.
The funding will support projects at Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, Port-la-Nouvelle and Marseille-Fos, with the port awards expected to leverage almost €1 billion in total investment, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.
The money is being administered by ADEME, France’s environment and energy management agency, under the government’s France 2030 investment programme.
Floating offshore wind uses turbines mounted on floating structures that are assembled in port and then towed out to sea, requiring heavy-duty quays and large assembly areas.
The projects include building or reinforcing quays, creating heavy-load storage and assembly zones, and improving access routes to handle large components used in floating wind developments.
Cherbourg, Brest and Nantes-Saint-Nazaire are set to serve the Atlantic and Channel markets, while Port-la-Nouvelle and Marseille-Fos will support developments in the Mediterranean.
Funding breakdown and government targets
Cherbourg detailed its plans first, with Ports de Normandie saying its upgrade project represents a €30 million investment, including €10.5 million from the ADEME award, €18.1 million from revenue generated by offshore renewable energy activities, and €1.4 million from the Cotentin Urban Community.
France is targeting almost 6GW of operational floating offshore wind capacity by 2040.
The port upgrades were awarded through a call for projects launched in 2024 to build a coordinated industrial port network along France’s Atlantic, Channel and Mediterranean coasts.
Transport minister Philippe Tabarot said ports were “a strategic link” in the development of offshore wind and that strengthening port capacity would support “industrial and energy sovereignty.”
Energy minister delegate Maud Bregeon said floating offshore wind was “one of the pillars” of France’s energy strategy.
