The French government has awarded 516MW of onshore wind capacity to 21 projects in the country's latest auction. The average weighted price was €63 a megawatt-hour, down from €65.4/MWh and €68.7/MWh in the previous two sales. Projects range in size from 10.5MW to 47.6MW, with the winners to be awarded 20-year contracts. The government said the projects will result in the installation of about 150 turbines and deliver approximately 1.34 terrawatt-hours of electricity a year when they come online. Canadian company Boralex secured the rights to develop three projects totalling 68.2MW, having submitted bids for wind farms totalling 118MW. The winning facilities are the 25.2MW Bois des Fontaines, 20MW Helfaut and 23MW Caumont Cheriennes. Boralex Europe general manager Nicolas Wolff said: “Wind energy as an economically and technically viable solution in the French energy transition is unquestionable and this third tender period is further proof of this. “We believe that France is – and will remain – a major market for the development of our renewable energy projects, which are structuring and promising for the country's economy.” A fourth auction is planned to close on 1 August.
France has awarded 21 projects with a total capacity of 516 MW in its latest onshore wind auction. The installations, which will each receive 20-year power purchase agreements, range from 47.6 MW to 47.6 MW in size. The average weighted price stood at € 63 /MWh ($ 70.6 ). The auction was France 's fourth onshore wind scheme, with a third set to close on 1 August .