RWE recently secured its position in the French renewable energies market by winning four new onshore wind power projects in the latest auction held by the French energy regulator, the Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE). These projects, with a total capacity of 78 MW, including 62.5 MW pro-rata, are evidence of RWE ‘s strategy to increase its market share in the renewable energies sector in France. In addition, the government is promoting the development of wind power, as demonstrated by the 10.82 billion euros allocated by the French government to boost offshore wind energy.
Breakdown of Projects
Of the four projects, three will be developed entirely by RWE, and one will be co-developed with Vent du Nord. Projects are mainly located in the northern half of France. The first project, located in the Somme region, is an extension of the Douiche wind farm and will comprise seven turbines with a total capacity of 28 MW. The Quatre Jallois project, co-owned with Vent du Nord, will be located in the Aisne region and will include four turbines with a total capacity of 20.7 MW. The Chemin de Châlons wind farm in the Marne region of France will consist of three turbines with a total capacity of 11 MW. Finally, the Chemin de Saint Gilles project, with five turbines and a total capacity of 18.4 MW, marks RWE’s first foray into the Vendée region.
Impact on the French Wind Power Market
These new projects strengthen RWE’s position in the French wind energy market, where the company has already commissioned 185 MW of renewable energy capacity since 2020. RWE is currently developing over 1.3 GW of onshore wind projects and almost 800 MWp of solar projects in France. This expansion is part of a global strategy to achieve 65 GW of renewable technology capacity by 2030.
With an average price of €87.80/MWh for this auction, RWE’s new projects will make a significant contribution to the growth of the onshore wind sector in France, while consolidating their portfolio of renewable assets. The ability to secure these projects testifies to RWE’s robustness in a competitive market and its ability to collaborate with other players in the sector, such as Vent du Nord.
The auction results also show that RWE continues to play a major role in France’s energy transition, aligning its developments with national targets for renewable energy production.
