What does it take to have momentum returning in Floating wind?
That was the question at last week’s 2026 Floating Wind Days in Haugesund, Norway.
Our CCO & Co-founder Rikke Winther Nørgaard gave a keynote on the state of offshore wind, and the long-term case remains intact: energy security and independence is the driver, and floating is structurally necessary in most of the markets that matter with COD in 2035-2040.
But 2026/2027 will determine whether France can commercially re-anchor the segment.
Some key movements to watch:
H2 2026 - France AO10 launches with ~5 GW floating capacity:
By far the largest floating procurement event ever launched globally. The tender design is the signal - if the framework looks workable, bidders will engage. If not, AO10 risks Utsira Nord's fate at ten times the scale.
2027 - France AO10 results:
The headline floating event globally. If AO10 clears at workable strike prices, it resets the floating cost curve, unlocks port and supply chain investment across Brest, Saint-Nazaire, and Fos-sur-Mer, and gives every other floating market a benchmark. If it doesn't clear, floating slips another cycle.
2026 and beyond - Korea PPA outcomes and Japan:
Korea's PPA outcomes could determine whether Asia builds a coherent commercial framework or stays fragmented. Additionally, floating is structurally necessary in Japan with the legislative opening of the EEZ paving the way towards the first dedicated floating zones.
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