OEE Statement: France announces tidal tender plans
23.03.2017
Ségolène Royal, French Minister for Energy, has announced that the French government will launch a new round of commercial tenders for tidal energy. Two deployment zones are being identified by regional authorities in Brittany and Normandy. These will be subject to a competitive tender managed by the French government. The zones will accomodate projects of 50-100MW.
Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe said: “This is a positive development for the European tidal power sector. Over the past months, tidal technologies have taken-off and developers now need areas where they can demonstrate arrays and full-scale farms. France has a world-leading tidal energy supply chain, these new tenders could leverage the experience recently gained in other parts of Europe to push tidal energy to commercialisation. These tenders are an important step to mainstreaming tidal energy in Europe”.
Read the press release from the French Govenment here: http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/loccasion-des-4emes-assises-nationales-des-energies-renouvelables-en-mer-segolene-royal-annonce