The planned windfarm will be located 32 km (20 miles) off the shore of Cotentin and generate the electricity needed to power 800,000 homes, Pompili said in a statement.

It will be France's eighth offshore wind farm. The government's current multi-year energy plan targets tenders for wind farms to generate a combined 2.5 to 3 GW by 2024.

Fishermen from the region, who are already worried about the impact of Brexit on their industry, expressed concerns during a public debate that the wind park could harm their livelihoods.

(Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Gareth Jones)