France’s Wind Market in Focus: VSB France Starts Construction of Its Largest Wind Farm – Market Gains Momentum

Nîmes (France) – Despite political and bureaucratic challenges, the French wind energy market continues to grow dynamically. Current projects and developments, such as the start of construction of VSB France’s Pays d’Auge wind farm and new production records, demonstrate that renewable energies are playing an increasingly important role in the country’s energy mix.

Seven wind turbines with a total capacity of nearly 40 megawatts (MW) are expected to generate clean electricity from 2027 in the Calvados department. The project developer VSB combines technical performance with ecological compensation measures. The expansion of wind power in France is gaining momentum – including in the offshore segment.

VSB Launches Major Pays d’Auge Project in Normandy

The project developer VSB France, part of the VSB Group, began construction of its largest wind farm to date in September 2025. The project, named Pays d’Auge, consists of seven Nordex N149 turbines, each with a capacity of 5.7 MW. The total capacity of the park is 39.9 MW.

The wind farm is being built in the municipalities of Barou-en-Auge and Norrey-en-Auge in the Calvados department. Commissioning is planned for 2027. The expected annual generation is 70 million kWh (70 GWh).

“The turbines will generate 70 GWh of clean electricity annually, avoiding 21,000 tonnes of CO₂,” explained Maël Lagarde, Managing Director of VSB France. In addition to the technical expansion, three kilometers of new hedges will be planted and five hectares of monoculture will be converted into species-rich areas.

VSB also considers the project significant at the corporate level. “Pays d’Auge is our largest project in France so far. It highlights the country’s significant potential and sends a clear signal that expanding renewable energy is both necessary and the right way forward,” said Dr. Felix Grolman, CEO of the VSB Group.

France’s Wind Market in Motion – New Records in Power Feed-in

The French wind market is developing with growing momentum. Projects like Pays d’Auge can serve as role models for reconciling the energy transition with nature conservation.

With around 23,500 MW (23.5 GW) of installed onshore wind capacity, France ranks among the largest wind energy markets in Europe. According to VSB, capacity is expected to rise to at least 33,000 MW (33 GW) by 2030. However, the industry anticipates an even faster expansion. VSB expects the installed capacity to potentially double in the medium term. In the offshore wind energy sector, the first projects in France are already online. Currently, three offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of approximately 1,500 MW are fully operational. Additionally, at the Eoliennes en Mer des îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYM) project, which is currently under construction, some of the turbines are already feeding electricity into the grid.

Alongside the expansion of onshore and offshore wind energy, power generation from wind is also increasing. On January 28, 2025, France set a new all-time record with an onshore wind feed-in of just over 400 million kWh. Offshore, a new daily high of 38.3 million kWh was achieved last week on October 4, 2025.

Source: IWR Online, 08 Oct 2025