Q Energy announced that it has been given the green light to build a 66-megawatt floating solar power plant in France. The project was developed by Q Energy France, the French subsidiary of Q Energy Solutions SE.
The project developer was awarded the contract in the recent tender by the French government. With a total volume of 339 megawatts, Q Energy France took first place in this round of bidding. The future floating power plant, Les Ilots Blandin, thus has all permits as well as a secured tariff. Construction is scheduled to start in the first half of 2023.
More than 200 megawatts in the pipeline in France
The electricity will be generated by several solar islands spread over a 127-hectare site of former gravel pits that were decommissioned in 2020. The solar panels will be mounted on floats, forming islands anchored to the shores or bottom of the pits. The system could supply 26,000 residents with clean, green electricity and avoid the emission of around 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
See also: Enviria and Q Energy to build 500 megawatts of solar park capacity in Germany
Floating solar power is a smart solution for using brownfield sites. Since 2018, Q Energy France has been developing floating solar projects, mainly in former quarries or gravel pits. Currently, the project developer has a development pipeline of more than 200 megawatts of floating solar projects. The French company has more than 20 years of experience and around one gigawatt of installed wind and solar projects. (HS/mfo)
