The consortium of TotalEnergies and RWE has been selected as the winner of the Centre Manche 2 (AO8) offshore wind tender.

The French Ministry of Industry and Energy chose the consortium for the design, development, construction, and operation of a 1.5GW offshore wind farm located 40 km off the coast of Normandy.

The project will be the largest renewable energy project ever developed in France. Once built, it will generate approximately 6TWh per year and supply renewable electricity to the equivalent of over 1m French households. The electricity will be sold at a competitive price of €66/MWh ($77.54/MWh), as set by the tender.

TotalEnergies will be the operator of the project and will conduct necessary studies to reach a final investment decision by early 2029. Electricity production is expected to begin in 2033, in line with RTE’s grid connection schedule.

As part of a strategic review of its investments, RWE has expressed its wish to exit the consortium, subject to approval from French authorities. In any case, TotalEnergies will pursue the project, assuming all the commitments of the consortium, and will attempt to bring a new partner into the project.

The project is expected to represent a €4.5bn ($5.3bn) investment and generate significant economic benefits for the Normandy region, and up to 2,500 people will be employed during the three years of construction.