The EC has approved €63 billion in aid for France’s offshore wind energy sector

The European Commission has approved a €63 billion French government programme aimed at supporting the development of offshore wind energy. The initiative is fully in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal and is designed to accelerate the country’s transition to a climate-neutral economy. This is stated in a press release from the European Commission.

The French support programme is designed to run for 25 years. The allocated funds are intended to finance the construction and operation of 11 offshore wind farms in the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

1. The total capacity is up to 11.1 GW.
2. The annual generation capacity is up to 47.8 TWh of ‘green’ electricity.
3. The project will meet around 10.6 per cent of France’s annual electricity needs.

State aid will be provided on the basis of a transparent and non-discriminatory tender process organised by the French authorities. Funding will take the form of bilateral contracts for difference (CfDs):

1. When prices are low: if the market price of electricity falls below the reference price set in the tender, the state pays producers the difference.
2. When prices are high: if the market price exceeds the reference price, producers are obliged to return the surplus to the French government.

The scheme includes safeguards that prevent payments to producers during periods of negative market prices, thereby ensuring the stable and transparent functioning of the energy market.

The programme has been approved in accordance with the Temporary Framework for State Aid under the Clean Industry Deal (CISAF), which the European Commission adopted on 25 June 2025.

As reported by GMK Center, the steel company Tata Steel UK has received funding from the Welsh Government to support a major joint project to develop next-generation wind turbine towers manufactured using steel strip-based solutions, which offer an alternative to traditional sheet steel-based designs.