France pre-selects for third offshore wind round

French regulator Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE) has pre-selected bidders to take part in a competitive dialogue which will define the bidding conditions for France's third offshore wind tender.

CRE prequalified 10 bidders to develop the 250-750MW French offshore wind project off Dunkirk in 2022. It is expected that the preferred bidder will be announced next year.

As we reported in March, ENGIE and EDPR confirmed their ambitions in the project and now they have been prequalified.

Other companies selected in the project are:

• EDF’s renewables unit Innogy and Canadian energy company Enbridge
• Elicio, a renewable energy producer from Belgium
• A consortium comprised of Boralex and CMI5i Pastor
• The Spanish public multinational electric utility company Iberdorla with RES
• Vatenfall, a Swedish power company, wholly owned by the Swedish government
• InControl, a company with 40 years experience in offshore infrastructure projects
• Parkwind, which develops, finances, builds and operates wind farms, with French Valeco
• Belgian Deme Concessions Wind
• Statoil, an international energy company and one of the world's largest offshore operator