France awards €258.5 million to five ports for floating offshore wind infrastructure

Paris, France (Ports Europe) August 1, 2026 – France has selected Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, Port-la-Nouvelle and Marseille-Fos for nearly €260 million of floating offshore wind infrastructure support, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Transport said . The awards were presented on July 30 by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot and junior Energy Minister Maud Bregeon. Grants target quays, storage and assembly capacity The support forms part of the “Ports” call for projects under France’s France 2030 investment programme, led by the French environment and energy management agency ADEME and launched in 2024. Grants totalling €258.5 million are expected to support close to €1 billion of investment in heavy-load quays, reinforced assembly and storage areas, and access routes across France’s Atlantic-Channel and Mediterranean coasts, enabling the ports to handle the assembly and launch of floating turbines built from unusually large components. Marseille-Fos and Nantes-Saint-Nazaire secure largest shares Marseille-Fos received the largest single award, €82 million, building on the port’s existing DEOS floating wind assembly project . Nantes-Saint-Nazaire secured €59.6 million toward its planned “Éole” platform, which includes a 530-metre quay sized for 500 to 600 MW of annual project capacity, onshore storage for blades, masts, nacelles and turbines, and water-based mooring for five floaters awaiting assembly; the port, France’s fourth-largest and the leading Atlantic port by tonnage, is targeting service from 2032. Brest was awarded €58 million for its “InFlow” project, aimed at establishing the port as an integrated floating wind site. Cherbourg received €10.5 million to extend its “Quai des Flamands” into a heavy-load quay, an application filed by Ports de Normandie in January 2025. Port-la-Nouvelle’s individual figure, accounting for the remaining balance of the €258.5 million total, was not specified in the government’s public announcement. Ports expected to specialise as France targets 6 GW by 2040 France is targeting close to 6 GW of floating offshore wind capacity in service by 2040, part of a wider offshore wind strategy. Junior Energy Minister Maud Bregeon described floating wind as “one of the pillars” of France’s energy strategy, framing the challenge for the five winning ports as turning “an energy objective into an industrial ambition.” The government said the five ports would not necessarily play identical roles, with specialisation depending on existing infrastructure, land availability, nautical access and proximity to future wind farm sites, but that together they should form a coordinated network to prevent value and jobs from being created outside France. Port-la-Nouvelle has already hosted early floating wind activity tied to the Gulf of Lion pilot project, including the arrival of the project’s first floating turbine platform. Related Ports Europe coverage: AUTF says French port report leaves cost-sharing demand unanswered Euroports named operator of the O&M facility for floating wind energy at Port-La Nouvelle First floating wind turbine platform arrives at Port-La Nouvelle © Ports Europe 2026. All rights reserved. [email protected]