Salle GAÏA (Hall B4)
Dec 10, 2026
9:30 AM12:00 PM
#Floating wind turbines - Marine energiesTraining - RecruitmentLocal authority
OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY MORNING SESSION: REGIONS, PORTS, INDUSTRY… THE KEYS TO A VALUE-CREATING INDUSTRY
Arnaud DE VILLEPINCatherine BECLaurent VERDIERMaëlie BENISTAND-HECTOROlivier ZANETTA
Description
Floating wind power is often touted as the next frontier in offshore renewable energy. But behind the installed capacity targets and competitiveness challenges lies a profound transformation of coastal regions and the maritime industry. The development of port infrastructure, the emergence of new industrial supply chains, the creation of jobs and skills, and coexistence with other uses of the sea: what concrete benefits can this sector bring to the regions that host it?
Part One – Floating Wind Power: Beyond Costs, What Are the Impacts on Regions?
This first session will focus on the economic, industrial, social, and environmental impacts of floating wind power. Beyond the cost per megawatt-hour, how can this sector become a driver of local development, reindustrialization, training, and job creation? Under what conditions will regions be able to sustainably capture the value generated by these projects?
Part Two - Floating Wind Power: How Are Ports Shaping a New Industrial Chain?
This second session will focus on the conditions necessary to achieve this ambition. Assembling the floats, storing components, transporting equipment, and installing and maintaining offshore wind farms require unprecedented infrastructure and logistics. What investments, which ports, and what partnerships between industry and local authorities will help build a competitive French industry and strengthen the country’s energy sovereignty?
Throughout these two discussions, industry representatives, local governments, port authorities, and sector stakeholders will share their vision of the conditions necessary for the success of floating wind power, united by a common ambition: to make this technology a driver of sustainable development for coastal regions and a pillar of France’s energy transition.
A roundtable discussion moderated by Olivier Zanetta, journalist and programming director at EnerGaïa
