FOWT France 2025

The 12th edition of the Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWT) conference took place from April 23 to 25, 2025, in Brest, France. Organized by Pôle Mer Méditerranée and France Renouvelables, FOWT is the world’s largest event dedicated exclusively to floating offshore wind energy, attracting over 1,400 participants from more than 30 countries.

Saitec Offshore Technologies played an active role at FOWT 2025:

Irati Larrinaga, Head of Technology, served as moderator of a roundtable, contributing her expertise to discussions on FOWT testing: lab and at sea innovative trials. This session brought together leading experts to discuss updates on this field:

• Maxime Thys from SINTEF Ocean presented hydrodynamic testing of floating wind farms with shared mooring systems, addressing scalability and efficiency in multi-turbine arrays.
• Nicolas Calvet of BW Ideol discussed in-situ testing of an innovative watertight membrane designed to protect concrete foundations from chloride ion penetration, a major concern for durability in marine environments.
• Representing France Energies Marines, Mélanie Roulet shared findings from recent sea trials focused on sensor technologies for monitoring the dynamic shape of subsea cables, an essential component for structural health.
• From the University of Cantabria, José Sainz-Aja Guerra highlighted advances in low-carbon concretes tailored for offshore infrastructure, contributing to sustainability goals.
• Nicolas Relun of EDF Renouvelables presented how the PGL project is leveraging real-world operational data to improve numerical model validation, enhancing design reliability and performance forecasting.

David Carrascosa (COO) and Immanuel Capano (CCO) also attended the event, engaging in key B2B meetings and strategic networking sessions with stakeholders across the international offshore wind community.

Technological Advancements and Industrial Challenges

The conference featured diverse and impactful presentations showcasing the latest scientific and technological developments in floating wind energy. Topics included numerical and AI tools to enhance FOWT design and operations, innovative trials in laboratories and at sea, and understanding wind resources, wakes, and ecosystems.

Strategic Projects and Tenders in France

FOWT 2025 occurred against a strategic backdrop marked by the launch of new tenders in France and the initiation of the first international tender for South Brittany’s floating wind farm. Notably, the AO5 tender in Brittany awarded a $1 billion project for 250 MW of floating offshore wind. The AO6 tender in the Mediterranean Sea included two 250 MW projects, each valued at $1 billion.

Technical Tours and Industrial Ecosystem

On April 25, attendees participated in technical tours organized by Bretagne Ocean Power. Highlights included:

• BrestPort’s MRE Terminal: Delegates explored facilities dedicated to floating wind power, including Eolink’s 5 MW demonstrator under assembly as part of the France Atlantique project.
• R&D and Testing Facilities: Visits to France Energies Marines and IFREMER provided insights into research and testing infrastructures supporting offshore renewable energy development.

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