France starts PV tenders with 3 GW – six bidding rounds of 500 MW until 2019

08/30/2016 | Print view

France started a new bidding round for ground-mounted installations and carports with a power output above 500 kW. - © Enerparc — © Enerparc

France started a new bidding round for ground-mounted installations and carports with a power output above 500 kW.

The new tender for photovoltaics with a volume of 3 Gigawatts in France has started. It is divided in into six bidding periods of each 500 Megawatts.

The first bidding period with 500 MW will end on February 1, 2017. The last bidding period of this first tender will conclude June 2019.

Maximum project volume of 17 MW

The maximum volume of each project was increased from 12 to 17 MW. 300 MW of each bidding period are allocated for ground mounted installations with more than 5 MW, 135 MW for ground mounted installations above 500 kW up to 5 MW. 65 MW are allocated for carport installations between 500 kW and 10 MW.

Price rated with 65 scores

Criteria for the selection of bids will be besides the production price per kWh C02 reductions and their environmental sustainability. In the first bidding periods the price factor for ground-mounted installations is rated with 65 scores and will be extended to 70 scores later.

20 GW target until 2023

In April the French government increased the total installation target for solar power by 2023 to 20 GW. The interim goal for 2018 is 10.2 GW. At the end of march 2016 total PV installations were 6.7 GW. (HCN)