France approves 720MW of solar as price falls another 5%

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
France is looking to deploy 3GW through its auction programme. The 300MW Cestas project was constructed outside the programme with a 20-year PPA in place with EDF.

France has approved 103 large-scale solar projects totalling 720MW in the latest phase of its 3GW deployment plans.

The winning bids averaged €58.2/MWh (US$67.5/MWh) a drop of 5% from the previous bidding round. February 2018’s capacity was awarded at a price of €61.6. The larger projects (5-30MW) averaged €52/MWh. ENGIE was among the big winners in the auction.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

More than a third of the awarded capacity is in the northern part of the country.

“All French regions can benefit from the large-scale development of solar photovoltaics,” said Nicolas Hulot, France’s minister for ecology and sustainable development. “The energy transition is now taking place everywhere, in all territories. This is made possible in particular by the increase in volumes and the bonus on the environmental relevance of the site set up in this call for tenders,” he added.

The next two auctions will be for 850MW each.

The winning projects can be viewed in full here.

2 February 2027
London, UK
Returning in 2027 for its 14th edition, Solar & Storage Finance Europe will bring together the brightest minds representing funds, banks, developers, utilities, government and industry across Europe and the UK on a programme that is solutions-focused from top to tail. The event is designed to enable leaders at the forefront of solar and storage investment and deployment in Europe to scale, learn and land themselves industry defining partnerships.

Read Next

November 5, 2026
Essar Renewables has signed a PPA with NHPC Limited for a 300MW firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) project in Andhra Pradesh.
November 5, 2026
EDP Renewables North America has begun work on its 250MW Cypress Knee Solar project in Arkansas, which will eventually supply power to tech giant Meta.
November 5, 2026
Tristan Erion-Lorico and Song Hao of Kiwa PVEL examine the negative consequences of overreliance on module nameplate power ratings for PV project economics.
November 5, 2026
Inverter and energy storage manufacturer SolarEdge has reported Q3 2026 revenue of US$326.1 million, down 5.8% from Q2 and 4.1% year-on-year.
November 4, 2026
rPlus Energies has closed a revolving credit facility of up to US$450 million to support its project pipeline across the American West.
November 4, 2026
Chinese PV manufacturer Trina Solar has emphasised that a reported divestiture of its solar tracker business is in the preliminary stages..

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
February 2, 2027
London, UK
Solar Media Events
April 20, 2027
Istanbul, Türkiye