Belgian Elicio wins world’s first floating offshore wind tender

The consortium between Ostend-based wind energy producer Elicio and renewable energy developer and solutions provider BayWa r.e. has won a tender to build the world’s first commercial floating wind farm off the coast of France.

Elicio won the tender process, initiated in 2021 for an offshore floating wind project with a capacity between 230 and 270 MW, located in the south of Brittany, leaving energy giants like Engie, Shell, and Total Energies behind. The project should be ready by 2030 or 2031 and will cost about one billion euros.

Floating platform

Floating turbines, attached to a large floating platform anchored in the seabed with cables, are used in places where the sea is too deep for classic foundations with steel piles. Several smaller demonstration projects have already been built worldwide.

The Pennavel company was set up for the French project, a 50/50 partnership with BayWa r.e., a strong vehicle of the German Farmers’ Association and the Swiss infrastructure fund EIP. Pennavel won the tender because it offered the lowest price at which it wanted to sell the electricity it would produce. The competitive price surprised many market parties.

Sustainable growth

The ‘Pennavel’ floating offshore wind project is set to become a cornerstone of the region’s energy landscape. The wind farm is expected to generate approximately 30% of Brittany’s current renewable energy production and power over 450,000 inhabitants annually, significantly contributing to the region’s sustainable growth.

It is the second recent success in floating wind in Europe by Elicio and BayWa r.e. following the 960 MW Buchan Offshore Wind farm off the north-east coast of Scotland, together with a third partner. This significant milestone further consolidates Elicio and BayWa r.e.’s position as floating offshore wind leaders within the global offshore wind sector.

Local communities

The consortium is fully committed to making this project a success. It will do so by devoting special attention to the needs and wants of the region and local communities, working with them in close dialogue while fostering transparency throughout the project.

Elicio is a renewable energy company focused on developing, financing, constructing, and operating onshore and offshore wind power plants in Europe. It benefits from 20 years of successful experience in offshore wind, with three offshore wind projects operating off the Belgian coast, totaling 144 wind turbines for over 1.1 GW.

BayWa r.e. is a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor, solutions provider, and independent power producer with an expanding energy trading business. For over 30 years, the company has successfully deployed large-scale renewable energy projects worldwide to the highest quality standards.