France Unveils Third Offshore Wind Tender

France has announced its third offshore wind tender this week, located off Dunkirk, in the north of the country.

Ségolène Royal, Minister of Environment, Energy and Marine, announced this week the third tender for an area off the coast of Dunkirk, in the country’s north, which has been identified as having favorable conditions for offshore wind development.

This is the country’s third tender, with the previous two awarded in 2012 and 2014 respectively. The first tender, offered in 2012, was for a total of 2 GW capacity, representing an investment of around 7 billion euros, or $8 billion. The second tender, offered in 2014, was for 1 GW, and an investment of around 4 billion euros.

However, maybe surprisingly considering the country’s neighbors and the region’s general offshore wind developments, France hasn’t yet constructed any of its awarded offshore wind farms. The new tender has not been given any specific size or when bidding would close — all information to come. However, Ségolène Royal did mention that the new tender would include a new procedure called “competitive dialogue,” in which bidders will be able to improve their offers during the process.