Winning a French offshore wind tender does not automatically secure a dedicated port logistics base. As lawyer Astrid Boullault warns, developers may need to compete for capacity and share infrastructure, even after award. That reshapes port selection, marshaling, and O&M planning. It also shifts risk: transit legs might lengthen, berths and storage may change mid-campaign, and CTV/SOV support strategies must be designed for multi-port reality rather than a single “home” base.

For operations, assume fluidity from day one. Build a fallback port matrix and pre-book quay, cranage, and bunkers across at least two sites (think Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, Saint-Nazaire, Port-la-Nouvelle). Expect higher demand for DP2 SOVs with motion-compensated gangways to de-risk weather and port slot gaps, plus hybrid CTVs with larger fuel/battery buffers and shore-power readiness. Tug-barge spreads for nearshore pre-assembly and feedering can compress critical paths when main-base throughput is capped. Price your charters for flexibility: standby, repositioning, and multi-port call clauses will matter more than a slightly lower day rate. Hybrid-ready fuels (HVO today, methanol-ready tomorrow) and shore-power at secondary ports will move from “nice” to “needed”.

We’re observing a practical trend: multi-homeport O&M and “roaming SOV” models paired with dynamic CTV scheduling. RFQs now ask for port-switch clauses, flexible crew-change windows, and AIS-backed utilization reporting. Owners that can swing between ports within 24–48 hours and surface real-time availability data win the work—and cut CO2 by reducing dead miles. Plan charters in shorter blocks with optioned extensions, and let the data pick the closest hull for each week’s tasks. The takeaway: plan for ports as a variable, not a constant.

If you’d like to discuss your offshore projects, reach us anytime at sales@seavium.com.