FloWatt welcomes the definitive registration of a 250 MW tender for tidal power in the Raz Blanchard by 2030

Cherbourg, February 27, 2026 - The partners in the FloWatt project, the independent renewable energizer Qair and the world leader in marine turbines HydroQuest welcome the inclusion of a first call for tenders for 250MW of tidal power to be awarded by 2030 in the 3rd Pluriannual Energy Program published on February 12. The inclusion of 250 MW of tidal power in the PPE: concrete recognition of the FloWatt model.

 

The announcement of the definitive inclusion of a 250 MW tidal turbine tender in the French Energy Plan (Programmation Pluriannuelle de l'Énergie - PPE) marks a turning point for the French marine renewable energy sector. This decision, eagerly awaited by industry players, validates the trajectory set in motion by the FloWatt project, France's first large-scale tidal turbine farm. The inclusion of a volume of 250MW to be allocated by 2030, with a ceiling price of €160/MWh (base 2024), is an unprecedented publication that gives players sufficient visibility to invest in the ramp-up of their industrial facilities.

 

A validated and secure project

The 17 MW FloWatt pilot farm will comprise six vertical-axis tidal turbines, manufactured in Cherbourg by HydroQuest with the support of its long-standing industrial partner, Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN).

The tidal turbines will be fully immersed three kilometers off the coast of the Raz Blanchard (Département de la Manche - Normandy), with no visual impact from the coast and a limited environmental footprint. The project is scheduled to reach financial close in 2026, before construction begins. The FloWatt tidal turbine power plant will generate the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 20,000 French people for twenty years.

Hydropower is a 100% predictable renewable energy source that relies on the power of tidal currents to produce decarbonized electricity every day of the year, reinforcing the stability of the French electricity grid.



FloWatt, the world's largest tidal turbine farm to be commissioned in 2028

Located at Raz Blanchard (Manche), construction of the FloWatt project will start in 2026, with commissioning scheduled for late 2028. A world first with the most powerful tidal turbine farm ever deployed for renewable, predictable electricity, the project's installed capacity amounts to 17 MW, equivalent to the energy consumption of 20,000 inhabitants for 20 years. Fully immersed in a very strong current, in one of the world's most inhospitable marine environments for human activity, the FloWatt tidal turbines have the lowest environmental impact of any project in the marine energy sector.

 

Olivier Guiraud, Director of Marine Renewable Energy Development at Qair, comments: "FloWatt is a project that has now been validated and secured, the fruit of solid collective work. It will lay the foundations for future calls for tender, thanks to proven technology and unique feedback."



Thomas Jalquier, President of Hydroquest, concludes: "The inclusion of tidal power in the PPE is a major step forward for the industry, and a positive signal to investors and manufacturers. With 250 MW allocated, we can pursue our deployment trajectory, which is both competitive and job-creating."