The trend of increasing solar power capacity is expanding to water surfaces, and one of the largest such projects in Europe is being built in northwestern France. After the project faced financing challenges, construction is now secured through a loan.
The construction of the floating solar power plant, named “Les Ilots Blandin,” began last year in the French region of Haute-Marne, on the site of a former quarry. A sum of 50.4 million euros has been secured for the continuation of the project, and the plant is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2025.
Initially, the plant was designed with a capacity of 66 MW, but thanks to an improved design, this capacity has been increased by 8 MW.
The plant’s concept includes several artificial islands spread over a surface area of 127 hectares, with a total power of 74.3 MW and containing 134,649 solar panels. The facility will provide green electricity to 137,000 households and prevent the emission of approximately 18,000 tons of CO2 annually.
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The contractor is the German renewable energy company Q Energy.
“We are very grateful for the great trust and dedication of our partners in financing this project. Together, we are advancing one of the most innovative technologies for clean energy production and further promoting renewable energy sources in France,” said Ludovic Ferrer, Commercial Director of Q Energy France.
The “Les Ilots Blandin” project was launched by the mentioned company in 2019, and in 2022 it won the tender by the Energy Regulatory Commission, thereby receiving state support.
So far, the largest European floating solar power plants have been in the Netherlands, with capacities of up to 41 MW, while one of the larger ones in Europe is in Austria (25 MW).
Floating photovoltaic systems offer numerous advantages, including freeing up additional space for the energy transition, easy installation, and enhanced performance due to the water cooling effect.
