BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. TotalEnergies, in partnership with RWE, has been selected by the French Ministry in charge of Industry and Energy to develop the Centre Manche 2 offshore wind project off the coast of Normandy, Trend reports.
The 1.5 GW wind farm will be the largest renewable energy project ever built in France, generating around 6 TWh per year - enough to supply over 1 million households. Electricity from the project will be sold at a competitive price of 66 euros/MWh.
TotalEnergies will lead the project, drawing on its expertise in offshore wind, with a final investment decision expected by early 2029. Production is scheduled to begin in 2033, in line with France’s grid connection plans.
Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies’ CEO, said the project represents the company’s largest investment in France in decades and will support the local industrial ecosystem. Up to 2,500 jobs are expected during 3 years of construction, with 500,000 hours of work earmarked for apprentices and professional reintegration programs.
TotalEnergies plans to source key components, including wind turbines and cables, primarily from European suppliers. The company will also engage local stakeholders and implement crowdfunding opportunities for Normandy residents and authorities, alongside a 10 million euro territorial fund for education, training, and cultural initiatives.
Environmental measures will include a 45 million euro allocation for impact mitigation and a 15 million euro biodiversity fund, with ambitious recycling targets for wind farm components.
The 4.5 billion euro project underlines TotalEnergies’ long-standing presence in France, where it has invested more than 8 billion euros since 2020, and positions the company as a leading renewable energy provider, with over 2 GW of installed capacity supplying 1.8 million people.