With the law on energy transition for green growth, enacted on August 18, 2015, France set a target to reach 32% renewable energy in its total energy consumption by 2030.
It must be said that France, which benefits from one of the best resources in Europe, is lagging far behind its Danish, German, British, Belgian, or Dutch neighbors.
As of December 31, 2016, France had nearly 12 GW of installed capacity (source: Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables). By comparison, on the same date, China had over 168 GW, the United States more than 82 GW, and Germany more than 50 GW.
While the orientations of successive governments have focused on the Channel and the Atlantic Ocean, the SUD Regions – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée express their common desire to develop the sector in the Gulf of Lion.
In a joint statement, alongside all industrial, environmental, and maritime professionals, they participated under the aegis of the DIRM (Interregional Directorate of the Mediterranean Sea) to propose macro-zones in the Mediterranean that will serve to organize future public debates aimed at determining the definitive scope of the tenders for future commercial offshore wind farms.
These macro-zones suitable for floating wind power in the Mediterranean will help meet the target of 3 GW installed by 2030, a goal that will be included in the Regional Plans for Sustainable Development and Territorial Equality of both Regions.
The SUD Regions – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée consider floating wind power as a major axis of industrial development for their territories and as an essential solution for the development of renewable energies, in line with the regional climate plan of the SUD Region – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the “Positive Energy Region” initiative of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region.
The Presidents are uniting their voices to urge the State to include significant target volumes for floating wind power in the future multi-annual energy programming (PPE) to provide the necessary visibility for developing a competitive, job-creating industry and economic activities.
“We ask the State to foresee, through the multi-annual energy programming (PPE), the launch of perennial calls for tenders that should simultaneously concern the three regions of pilot farms, SUD – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée, and Brittany,” stated Carole DELGA and Renaud MUSELIER.
