Neoen has announced that it has been awarded 119 MWp of solar projects in the latest call for tenders held by the French government’s energy regulation commission (CRE). With seven projects ranging from 5 to 30 MWp, Neoen ranks second in terms of capacity awarded in this session and remains, with 479 MWp, the top awardee for the whole PPE2 call of tenders that began two years ago.
In developing these projects, Neoen worked closely with local authorities and stakeholders in the Grand Est, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Occitanie regions of France. The number and diversity of projects demonstrate Neoen’s ability to develop ground-mounted projects across the country.
Construction of these solar plants will be carried out by French EPC experts and is expected to be phased between 2024 and 2028. It will generate direct and indirect employment and contribute to local economies.
Among the seven winning projects in the ground-mounted solar category, Lapenne (21 MWp) will be one of the first solar agrivoltaic plants in the department of Ariège. By combining sheep farming and renewable electricity production on the same site, it will ensure diversified revenue for the farmer. The project will be overseen annually by French farming institute IDELE, one of Neoen’s long-term partners.
“I congratulate our team for this new success and thank all our stakeholders for their confidence and support. We are proud to be the top awardee in the government calls for tenders launched in December 2021 and a major contributor to the decarbonisation of our country’s electricity,” said Guillaume Decaen, French Development Director.
“These awards are another demonstration of our ability to develop projects that are both competitive for our clients and value creating for our shareholders. With a total of 119 MWp in this session, Neoen strengthens its position as number one independent producer of renewable energy in France, a key country for us. Thanks to the quality of our solar, wind and storage projects, we will further accelerate our growth, in France and around the world,” concluded Xavier Barbaro, Chairman and CEO of Neoen.
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The Winter 2023 issue of Energy Global hosts an array of technical articles weather analysis, geothermal solutions, energy storage technology, and more. This issue also features a regional report looking at the future of renewables in North America, and a report from Théodore Reed-Martin, Editorial Assistant, Energy Global, on how Iceland utilises its unique geology for renewable energy.