French energy leaders urge faster renewable project approvals

France must streamline its processes for renewable energy projects or risk falling behind its European neighbours, warned the CEOs of TotalEnergies and EDF on Tuesday.

Speaking at the French electricity union (UFE) annual conference, Luc Remont of EDF and Patrick Pouyanne of TotalEnergies stressed the importance of reforming licensing and regulatory practices to meet the country’s ambitious renewable energy goals and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

France has set targets to reach 45 GW of offshore wind power by 2050 but currently has only 2 operational offshore wind farms generating nearly 1 GW.

In contrast, countries like Germany and Britain have made significant progress due to more efficient permitting processes. Remont described the delays as “hell” for investors, noting that administrative hurdles in France are unmatched elsewhere, impacting not just renewables but also industrial grid connections.

Pouyanne, whose company aims for 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, highlighted that France’s bureaucratic challenges severely limit growth.

While TotalEnergies has 27 GW of global renewable capacity, only about 2 GW is in France. The CEO pointed out that permits in Germany are secured twice as fast, and French taxes on energy storage hinder development.

Pouyanne likened the situation to the contrast between renovating Notre Dame Cathedral in five years and the slow pace of renewable energy project approvals in France.

Attribution: Reuters

Subediting: M. S. Salama