The European Commission had approved the public funding that France plans to put in place for the construction of the Dunkirk offshore wind farm.
The funding is expected to be in the form of additional remuneration that will be paid at the end of the year following a competitive tender process.
France launched the tender for the development and operation of the project in mid-November, following a delay of several months.
The ten pre-selected potential developers have four months for bidding, with the winner expected to be announced by the middle of next year.
The Dunkirk offshore wind farm will have a capacity of between 400MW and 600MW. It will be installed at a 70km2 square area some 10km off the coast.
Dunkirk is part of the country’s third round of tenders for the development of offshore wind chosen for its favorable conditions and supported by the region’s elected officials.