The French government has announced plans to launch a 3 GW onshore wind tender in the coming weeks.
The French government has announced plans to launch a 3 GW onshore wind tender in the coming weeks.
Energy minister Ségolene Royal said that the tender would be rolled out in stages over the next three years, comprising six bidding windows of 500 MW each.
The tender process marks the start of a competitive bidding process for renewables in France, replacing a system of guaranteed purchase prices.
According to the French energy ministry, the first tender will take place this year, followed by two each in 2018 and 2019, and one more in 2020. The terms of the tender are being finalised, it added.
The new system is a requirement of EU state aid rules and came into force at the start of 2017. It will apply to projects consisting of six turbines or more.