First Solar announced Thursday that French PV energy company Photosol has chosen its thin-film solar modules for 14 utility-scale solar projects with a total capacity of 106.5MW.
These projects — developed and owned by Photosol — were part of the third procurement round initiated by France’s Commission de Régulation de l’Energie. All 14 installations will be located in central and southwest France and will range from 4.5MW to 43MW in generation capacity.
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The largest project will be located in Burgundy, with Jayme da Costa Energie — a French subsidiary of Portuguese engineering firm Jayme da Costa Group — providing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for all the projects.
Once completed, the projects are expected to generate almost 134,000 MWh of energy to the French electricity grid in their first year of operation — enough energy to power 23,000 average households within the country.
David Guinard, managing director of Photosol, said: “As France continues to drive a sustained renewable energy program to meet its CO2 reduction goals, while reliably addressing its energy needs, we see a huge opportunity for utility-scale solar to make a significant contribution by delivering reliable and affordable clean electricity. Our decision to select First Solar’s thin film modules was not only driven by the cost-competitiveness and proven performance advantage, but also by the significant environmental benefits that its module technology offers.”
Stefan Degener, regional head of business development at First Solar, added: “The progressive French policy on reducing the carbon footprint of its solar energy program has set a new benchmark and serves as a precedent for other countries to follow. It is a clear demonstration of how evaluating the environmental footprint can be effectively embedded in a competitive bidding process. We congratulate Photosol on their success, and thank both Photosol and Jayme da Costa for their continued confidence in First Solar and our technology.”
