Tripartite alliance for France's offshore tender for the Dunkerque wind farm

"This triad provides an ideal starting point for successfully implementing the project because it unites the experience of offshore specialists Vattenfall, Caisse des Dépôts and wpd," says Vincent Balès, Managing Director of wpd offshore France S.A.S. The three players have already implemented a total of 14 offshore wind farms in Europe. In France, they are involved in five projects out of the six which are in development on the French coast. "The constellation of Vattenfall, Caisse des Dépôts and wpd has already proved itself in the past. We have successfully implemented various projects like Sandbank or Butendiek together," says Balès.

The project site of Éliade is located near the port of Dunkerque on the sandbank of Flanders. It is one of the regions with the most winds in France. At the moment, there are conversations with business representatives, site users and local environmental organizations taking place to achieve the best offer for the realization of the offshore wind farm.

About the tender

This is the third time that the French government has made sites available for offshore wind tenders. Ten companies were selected for the project, rated at 250-750 MW, in a prequalification phase in May 2017, including Vattenfall. Currently, the three companies are working together to draw up the offer, and the bids will ultimately be judged on three criteria: price, optimal exploitation of the wind power zone and consideration for the environment. The winner is expected to be announced during the second half of this year.