France Advances Industrial Manufacturing of Floating Wind Foundations: BW Ideol and NGE Plan 500-MW Line in Fos-sur-Mer

Fos-sur-Mer – France's push to build industrial-scale manufacturing capacity for floating offshore wind is gathering pace. Project developer BW Ideol and construction group NGE have formed an equal partnership for the Mediterranean region to establish series production of floating wind foundations in southern France.

The move comes against the backdrop of the French government's AO10 tender, launched in June 2026, which is set to award around 10,000 MW of offshore wind capacity, split evenly between fixed-bottom and floating installations. France is linking the expansion of offshore wind with industrial policy goals, aiming to strengthen European value creation and strategic independence in energy and future technologies. The country's offshore wind capacity is targeted to reach 18,000 MW by 2035, up from around 1,500 MW at the end of 2024.

Fos3F: 500-MW Manufacturing Line at the Port of Marseille

The partnership builds on Fos3F, a manufacturing line for floating offshore wind foundations in Fos-sur-Mer initiated by BW Ideol, which will now be jointly developed with NGE on an equal footing. The planned series production line for concrete floating foundations is to be built on the DEOS platform at the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, with a targeted output of around 30 floating units per year — equivalent to an annual capacity of approximately 500 MW. The two companies have jointly submitted a bid to the port operator for the site: a 30-hectare area with 400 linear meters of usable quay frontage. BW Ideol brings its experience as developer of the Damping Pool® concrete floating foundation and the international expertise of the BW Offshore group, while NGE contributes its infrastructure construction capabilities. "With NGE, we are taking a decisive step: the transition to industrial scale for French floating offshore wind.," said Paul de la Guérivière, President of BW Ideol.

EU Innovation Fund and C3IV Back Project with EUR 126 Million

The groundwork for the project was laid in 2025, when public funding of up to EUR 126 million was pledged for Fos3F. Of this, up to EUR 74 million comes from a grant under the European Union's Innovation Fund, and up to EUR 52 million from a tax credit under France's green industrial investment program C3IV. The partnership also builds on an agreement reached with materials group Holcim in December 2025 for the supply of low-emission materials, including low-carbon concrete.

AO10 Tender: More Than 200 Floating Foundations Needed by 2037

According to BW Ideol and NGE, the AO10 tender brings the cumulative development volume for floating offshore wind in France to more than 5,000 MW, of which 3,700 MW is located along the Mediterranean coast. More than 200 floating foundations would be needed for deployment between 2030 and 2037 — a demand the planned manufacturing line in Fos-sur-Mer is intended to help meet. The companies expect more than 1,300 direct jobs to be created in the region. "With BW Ideol, we are helping to build an industrial sector for floating wind power in France that can support national and European decarbonization goals," said Bruno Parent, Deputy CEO of NGE.

PPE3: Offshore Expansion as an Industrial Policy Tool

The AO10 tender is set within the context of France's PPE3 energy planning framework (Programmation pluriannuelle de l'énergie), which links the expansion of renewable generation capacity to energy and industrial policy objectives. Planned elements include requirements for supply chain resilience as well as industrial policy criteria aimed at strengthening European value creation; the award decision is expected in February 2027. Fos3F is thus positioned within France's broader strategy of linking offshore wind expansion to the development of industrial manufacturing capacity and value chains.

La Ciotat and Saint-Étienne-du-Grès: Regional Roots as a Strategic Factor

Both companies are rooted in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region: BW Ideol has been headquartered in La Ciotat since its founding in 2010, while NGE is based in Saint-Étienne-du-Grès and describes itself as France's fourth-largest construction group. Further development of the manufacturing line will also depend on how concrete floating wind farm projects emerge from the AO10 tender in the Mediterranean, generating long-term demand for foundations. Against this backdrop, Fos3F could contribute to the intended buildup of French and European manufacturing capacity for floating offshore wind.

Source: IWR Online, Jul 07 2026