European Commission Greenlights France’s EUR 63 Billion Aid Scheme To Build 11 Offshore Wind Farms
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The European Commission has approved a EUR 63 billion French scheme to support the construction and operation of eleven offshore wind farms, in line with the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) adopted by the Commission on 25 June 2025.
France notified the Commission, under the CISAF, a scheme to support offshore wind energy to contribute to the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal. The scheme will run for 25 years and has a maximum budget of EUR 63 billion.
The wind farms, located in the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, are expected to have a combined capacity of up to 11.1 GW and to generate up to 47.8 TWh of renewable electricity per year, or around 10.6 per cent of France’s annual electricity consumption.
I have highlighted this article, as it gives a lot of true figures about the cost of offshore wind farms in France.
The scheme costs in subsidy € 227027/GW/year.
Poland Receives Its First Electricity from Offshore Wind As Baltic Power Starts Delivering
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Electricity generated by the Baltic Power offshore wind farm has entered Poland’s national power grid, marking the first time the electricity generated by offshore wind turbines is added to the country’s energy mix.
This first paragraph gives more details of the project.
54 of 76 turbines have already been installed at Poland’s first offshore wind farm, with the first now generating electricity. Construction is scheduled for completion this autumn, ORLEN and Northland Power, the owners of the project, said.
When complete, the Baltic Power wind farm will generate up to 1.2 GW.
How Much Offshore Wind Does Poland Have Planned?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
Poland has massive offshore wind plans in the Baltic Sea.
The country targets 5.9 GW by 2030 and 18 GW by 2040. To meet these goals, the government is pursuing two primary development phases to transition the national grid away from coal.
A breakdown of Poland’s offshore wind rollout includes:
Phase I (Advanced Projects): Includes 5.9 GW of capacity.
Baltic Power: Poland’s first offshore wind farm (1.2 GW), developed by Orlen and Northland Power, officially connected to the national grid in July 2026.
Bałtyk 2 & 3: Equinor and Polenergia have finalized financing for an additional 1.4 GW, slated for commercial operation around 2028.
Phase II (Auction-Backed): Poland recently allocated over 3.4 GW in new capacity through competitive offshore wind auctions, pushing development well into the next decade.
Long-Term Outlook: Industry groups estimate the total technical potential in Poland’s portion of the Baltic Sea could reach up to 33 GW.
Will Poland Be Welcoming Any Invading Germany Wind Farms?
In New Study Shows How North Sea Offshore Wind Can Yield More While Costing Less, I talked about how Germany doesn’t have enough sea in which to place the wind farms it needs to generate the green electricity and hydrogen it needs.
This map from Wikipedia shows Exclusive Economic Zones in the North Sea, but it also shows who has control of the sea in the Baltic.
Note.
- Yellow is France.
- Mauve is Belgium, who drew the short straw.
- Light Blue is The Netherlands.
- Black is Germany, who despite their large land area, don’t have as much sea as the UK.
- Red is Denmark.
- Dark Blue is Norway.
- Green is The UK.
- Germany and Poland seen to share the Southern Baltic.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Germany and Poland co-operating to maximize the wind power capacity of the Southern Baltic.
A Visit To Poland’s Coal Capital
On one of my trips to Poland, I went to Katowice, which is in Poland’s coal-mining region. I wrote about it in An Excursion In Katowice.
Google AI produced this snapshot of Katowice.
Katowice is historically known as the “Polish Coal Capital” and served as the absolute backbone of the region’s heavy industry. First transforming into an industrial powerhouse in the mid-19th century due to rich local coal and metal reserves, the city’s economy and rapid growth were entirely reliant on coal mining and steel.
While coal and heavy industry historically anchored its identity, the city of Katowice has aggressively transformed into a modern cultural, technological, and business hub. The wider Silesia region remains heavily tied to coal mining, but the municipality itself has shifted its focus to avoid reliance on it.
My visit to Katowice was an excellent pit-stop on a train ride between Krakow and Prague, when I did my Home Run From Krakow.
If you like your food and like me, you’re coeliac, I would certainly recommend Poland for a few days away.
Strangely, the language is not a problem, as if you get three Poles together, one will speak English better than what you do.
New Study Shows How North Sea Offshore Wind Can Yield More While Costing Less
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
A less dense development of offshore wind in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea, and a relocation of capacities to neighboring countries can both increase the yield from offshore wind and reduce costs, a new study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (Fraunhofer IWES) has shown.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
With Germany’s current expansion target of 70 gigawatts (GW) by 2045 and the planned land use to date, the utilization of offshore wind power will fall far short of its technical potential, the study has shown.
While the North Sea is among the windiest regions worldwide, shading effects would significantly reduce the achievable yield of up to 5,000 full-load hours. Furthermore, the close proximity of wind farms reduces each other’s wind output.
It appears from the text in this must read report, that the Germans might develop as much as 20 GW in neighbouring countries.
In Will A Large Green German Elephant Get Involved In The Clacton By-Election?, I talked about a 2 GW cluster of wind farms being developed by RWE and their partners.
- 1.1 GW – Five Estuaries
- 504 MW – North Falls
- 353 MW – Galloper
Note:
- In total they are around 2 GW.
- The wind farms are around 30 km. offshore.
- RWE are a respected German company, who are one of the UK’s largest electricity generators.
I believe that RWE and their partners could receive a lot of opposition to an overhead power line across Essex to connect these wind farms to the National Grid, and 2 GW would not be a small set of pylons.
Would it be a better value project to bring this energy to Germany, either as green electricity or green hydrogen, than connect it to the UK’s National Grid?
Consider.
- A cable between the three wind farms and the nearest part of Germany would be about 300 miles.
- The longest undersea interconnect is the Viking Line between England and Denmark, which is 475 miles long.
- RWE have been building a big offshore electrolyser in The Netherlands called H2OpZee and I believe that similar technology could be used at Clacton.
- 2 GW of energy would be ten percent of the energy, that Germany needs.
- I’m sure Rachel from Accounts would be happy for any payments for the energy.
It looks to me that energy links between the UK and Germany will only get more numerous and stronger as the years roll by.
North Sea Exclusive Economic Zones
Out of curiosity, I searched for a map and found this on Wikipedia.
Note.
- Yellow is France.
- Mauve is Belgium, who drew the short straw.
- Light Blue is The Netherlands.
- Black is Germany, who despite their large land area, don’t have as much sea as the UK.
- Red is Denmark.
- Dark Blue is Norway.
- Green is The UK.
Didn’t we do well!
But Belgium and Germany miss out badly, when it comes for virgin sea to fill with wind farms.
Energy Links To Belgium
The UK has developed or is developing two grid links to Belgium.
- Nemo Link – a 1.0 GW interconnector.
- Nautilus – A 1.7 GW offshore hybrid asset.
National Grid is a partner with their Belgian equivalent ; Elia in both.
Energy Links To Germany
Germany is developing.
- NeuConnect – a 1.4 GW interconnector.
- GriffinLink – a hybrid offshore link.
- AquaVentus
I believe there will be more links.
Will A Large Green German Elephant Get Involved In The Clacton By-Election?
Before I start I’ll ask a question.
What Does Farage Think Of Offshore Wind Farms?
Google AI gave me this reply.
Nigel Farage opposes offshore wind farms, viewing them as an unreliable energy source and arguing that they cause industrial decline and impose “intolerable costs” on households.
His specific stances include:
Taxation & Subsidies: He has pledged that his Reform UK party would eliminate subsidies for wind projects and impose a windfall levy on existing wind farms that have received subsidies.
Energy Alternatives: Farage advocates for abandoning “net zero dogma” and pushes instead for increased oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, along with the expansion of nuclear energy.
Environmental Impact: He has criticized both onshore and offshore wind infrastructure for “despoiling our landscapes and seascapes”. His opposition aligns with previously documented discussions with US President Donald Trump, who has lobbied him against wind turbines.
RWE Development In The Clacton Constituency
RWE or RWE-led consortia are developing three wind farms in the waters off the constiuency.
- 1.1 GW – Five Estuaries
- 504 MW – North Falls
- 353 MW – Galloper
Note:
- In total they are around 2 GW.
- The wind farms are around 30 km. offshore.
- RWE are a respected German company, who are one of our largest electricity generators.
I believe that RWE and their partners could receive a lot of opposition to an overhead power line across Essex to connect these wind farms to the National Grid, and 2 GW would not be a small set of pylons.
But although RWE are German, they may have a Plan B.
RWE have been building a big offshore electrolyser in The Netherlands called H2OpZee and I believe that similar technology could be used at Clacton.
- The electrolyser would be about 30 km from the shore and look like a typical wind farm substation.
- There would be connections to both the UK and Germany, and green hydrogen would be able to be sent either way.
- As Germany is decarbonising industry using hydrogen, I suspect that most green hydrogen would initially be exported.
- But it could attract businesses that needed a lot of green energy to the Clacton area.
- And Clacton certainly needs jobs.
How would Farage deal with something that would bring prosperity to his constituency, but was against his principles?
Has The Clacton Constituency Anything To Do With The Offshore Wind Industry?
I ask this question as Nigel Farage, who is the sitting MP has called a by-election.
Before I answer, the question in the title, I will ask Google AI if he supports wind farms.
I received this reply.
Nigel Farage does not support offshore wind farms. As the leader of Reform UK, he opposes them and has pledged to eliminate renewable energy subsidies, impose a windfall tax on wind developers, scrap net-zero targets, and prioritize the expansion of North Sea oil and gas extraction.
Put this alongside the answer to the question I put in the title of this post.
Yes, the Clacton constituency is directly connected to the offshore wind industry through both established infrastructure and future energy projects off its coastline.The constituency’s specific ties to the wind sector include:
Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm: Located just 7 kilometers (about 4 miles) off the coast of Clacton and Holland-on-Sea, this wind farm has been operating since 2010. It features 48 turbines and can be seen directly from the town’s beachfront.
Electrical Connection Points: The Gunfleet Sands Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) system connects this wind farm to the UK’s national grid via cables and onshore substations based in the local area.
Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm: The Clacton coastline falls within the proposed zone for this massive £1.5 billion project. Jointly developed by SSE Renewables and RWE, the project is projected to power over 400,000 homes, with onshore grid infrastructure and cabling proposed for the North Essex area.
If the right independent candidate stood againt Farage, this could be an interesting contest.
Crown Estate’s Revenue From Existing Offshore Wind Farms 20 Pct Higher, Operating Profit Dips As Round 4 Projects Enter Construction Phase
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Crown Estate reported a decline in annual operating profit to GBP 1.2 billion (approximately EUR 1.4 billion) from GBP 1.4 billion (approx. EUR 1.6 billion) in the previous year due to lower offshore wind Round 4 option fee income, as the Round 4 projects started entering the construction phase. Excluding the Round 4 option fees, operating profit rose 5 per cent to GBP 370 million (approx. EUR 435 million), while revenue from existing offshore wind farms increased 20 per cent to GBP 117 million (approx. EUR 138 million)
These four paragraphs add more details.
Over the year, the Crown Estate returned GBP 487 million (approx. EUR 573 million) to HM Treasury, bringing total contributions to GBP 5.1 billion (approx. EUR 6 billion) over the past decade, according to its financial report released on 25 June.
Alongside the financial results, the UK seabed manager highlighted that offshore wind capacity in its waters has reached 13 GW, up from 12 GW, with 36 wind farms now operating in its marine portfolio.
The pipeline of offshore wind capacity has increased to 56 GW, with an expanding offshore leasing and development programme as early Round 4 projects enter construction.
In the Offshore Wind Seabed Leasing Round 4, held in 2021, the Crown Estate selected six projects, which signed their Agreements for Lease in 2023, kicking off the three-year period during which the developers were paying annual option fees.
In Offshore Wind In 2030 – Calculated June 2026, I showed that the offshore wind capacity will have increased to 56 GW, sometime in 2031-2032.
How Much Income Will There Be In 2027-2032 from UK Wind Farms?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this section and received this answer.
UK wind farm industry revenues are forecast to surpass £6 billion annually heading into 2027, driven by expanding capacity and inflation-adjusted contracts. Between 2027 and 2032, overall sector income will scale rapidly as capacity aims to double and up to £5 billion is pumped into the supply chain.
The economic landscape for UK wind generation features the following financial projections and parameters:
Industry Revenue & Growth: The UK wind power generation market is projected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 15% through 2031. The rapid expansion of both onshore and offshore capacity will push total market revenues well into the double-digit billions by 2032.
Contract for Difference (CfD) Revenues: Wind farms are heavily shielded from market volatility by index-linked strike prices. For instance, recent offshore projects have secured delivery rates as low as $37.35 per megawatt-hour (MWh). Conversely, older assets are transitioning out of initial subsidy schemes, moving into merchant wholesale pricing or new contracts by 2027.
Macroeconomic Contribution: Every additional gigawatt (GW) of offshore wind capacity adds an estimated £2 billion to £3 billion to the wider UK economy.
The Crown Estate Earnings: Acting as the UK seabed manager, The Crown Estate generates significant income from offshore wind leasing, having reported operating profits of over £1.2 billion and planning to retain up to 60% of its revenue to reinvest in the energy sector.
Landowner & Community Economics: For utility-scale farms, participating landowners generally earn between 5% and 6% of the annual turnover from wind farms, equating to around £40,000 per year for a single large turbine. Domestic turbines can earn up to £702 annually under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), depending on the specific supplier tariff.
I believe that with a similar growth of solar energy, the renewable energy produced in the UK in 2032 will be beyond our wildest dreams.
Encomara’s Floating Wind Installation Technology Gets ABS Design Approval
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Encomara’s floating wind installation technology, Squid, has received Product Design Assessment (PDA) certification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
These three paragraphs add more details.
The PDA follows an Approval in Principle (AiP) granted by ABS in November 2025 and moves the system a step closer to commercial deployment, according to Encomara, as it advances the technology along its qualification pathway towards Technology Readiness Level assessment and market adoption.
The technology is developed by Encomara and manufactured by Aurora Energy Services (AES), which acquired the Aberdeen-based company in 2025.
Squid integrates pre-installed mooring lines and electrical connections into a single subsea unit, enabling floating wind turbines to be connected using a “plug-and-play” approach.
In some ways the project reminds me of a floating oil and gas production platform, on which I did the calculations.
But the Balaena Structures design never sold a platform and the company, which was based in Cambridge, folded.
Encomara have a web site, which is well worth a visit.
Does Floating Wind Power Have A Higher Capacity Factor Than Fixed Foundation Wind Power?
I asked Google AI the question in the above sub-title and received this answer.
Yes. Floating wind power typically achieves higher capacity factors than fixed-foundation wind power.
The main reasons for this performance edge include:
Stronger, More Consistent Winds: Floating platforms allow turbines to be placed much further offshore, where wind speeds are higher, steadier, and less turbulent.
Access to Deeper Waters: Over 80% of deep-water offshore wind resources exist in waters too deep for fixed-bottom structures.
Performance Comparisons: Fixed offshore wind turbines typically see capacity factors ranging between 45% and 60% (depending on the location), whereas floating installations can push past 60%. For instance, the Hywind floating wind farm in Scotland achieved a capacity factor exceeding 65% in its first months of operation.
Despite this higher generation yield, floating wind technology is generally more complex and features higher installation and capital costs than fixed-bottom turbines.
I also believe that some of the floating wind technology, lends itself to advanced production and installation methods.
Trump Administration Withdraws Appeal, Leaving Wind Energy Leasing And Permitting Freeze Vacated
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Trump Administration has withdrawn its appeal of a federal court ruling that vacated the section of its January 2025 Presidential Wind Memorandum that halted federal leasing and permitting activities for onshore and offshore wind projects, leaving the court’s decision in place and the wind permitting and leasing freeze overturned.
These two paragraphs add more details.
The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has granted the federal government’s motion to voluntarily dismiss its appeal of a December 2025 ruling by the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, which found the challenged section of the Presidential Wind Memorandum unlawful and vacated it in its entirety.
With the dismissal, the district court’s ruling remains in force, meaning the indefinite nationwide pause on wind energy leasing and permitting activities can no longer be enforced.
To quote one of my favourite accountants and a very good friend.
Trump has been screwed, glued and tattooed.
Thankfully, he also has appeared to have given up fairly quickly and has stopped throwing good money after bad.
GWEC Calls For Faster Offshore Wind Deployment As Global Capacity Nears 100 GW
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has called on governments worldwide to accelerate offshore wind deployment and treat offshore wind projects as critical energy infrastructure, warning that a faster build-out is necessary to strengthen energy security and reduce exposure to future energy market shocks
These two paragraphs add some more detail.
The industry is approaching a major milestone of 100 GW of installed offshore wind capacity globally, according to GWEC’s 2026 Global Offshore Wind Report, released on 9 June at the APAC Wind Energy Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The report shows that 9.3 GW of new offshore wind capacity was grid-connected worldwide in 2025, a 16 per cent increase compared to the previous year and the third-highest annual total on record. Global installed offshore wind capacity reached 92.5 GW by the end of 2025.
These are some points from the article.
- China remained the world’s largest offshore wind market in 2025, commissioning 6.6 GW of new capacity and increasing its total installed offshore wind capacity to 48.4 GW.
- Europe added nearly 2 GW across the UK, Germany and France, with the UK accounting for just over 1 GW of new installations.
- Despite the positive outlook, GWEC said project development continues to be hindered by permitting delays, grid constraints, supply chain bottlenecks and shortcomings in auction design.
- The average size of offshore wind turbines installed in 2025 exceeded 10 MW for the first time, reaching 10.3 MW.
It certainly looks like offshore wind power is going well.
Is The UK Developing Sea-Drones To Protect Wind Farms?
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this answer.
Yes, the UK is actively developing and utilizing sea-drones (and autonomous boats) for its offshore wind farms. This technology is being used to protect the farms by patrolling subsea infrastructure, inspecting underwater turbine foundations, and delivering heavy equipment to mitigate human risk.
Here is a look at how sea drones and autonomous systems are being developed and used for the UK’s offshore energy sector:
Subsea Security and Patrolling: The UK and NATO are highly focused on protecting critical subsea cables and wind networks from adversarial interference. Firms like Aberdeen-based Honuworx have been contracted to develop autonomous underwater vehicles capable of prolonged remote operation for defense and infrastructure surveillance.
Underwater Structure Inspection: Projects like the UNITE program (led by Heriot-Watt University and supported by the National Robotarium) are testing AI-controlled underwater robots to operate in turbulent seas and maintain offshore wind infrastructure. Meanwhile, Beam (an offshore wind services company) successfully deployed the world’s first AI-driven autonomous underwater drone at Scotland’s Seagreen wind farm, cutting inspection times in half.
Sailing Drones & Remote Operations: Energy companies like Vattenfall are controlling uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and sailing drones from remote operation centers in Aberdeen to patrol and keep North Sea wind farms safe and efficient.
Heavy-Lift Cargo Drones: Beyond sea drones, energy giant Ørsted has utilized giant autonomous drones to deliver heavy equipment—like 70kg boxes of safety gear—directly to the tops of offshore wind turbines in the UK, removing the need for ships and cranes in rough seas
We should fight fire with innovation.
The Anonymous Widower 