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.

Read Next

September 25, 2026
Nava Limited commissioned a 100MW solar PV project in Zambia through MSEL, with power evacuation to the national grid underway.
September 25, 2026
ESR, a Singapore-headquartered real asset owner and manager focused on logistics real estate and data centres, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Aquila Clean Energy APAC.
September 25, 2026
German renewables developer Energiequelle has sold its French subsidiary to French independent power producer H2air.
September 25, 2026
The replacement of decommissioned solar projects will account for 23% of new capacity additions by the 2040s, according to Wood Mackenzie.
September 24, 2026
This week's PV Chart of the Week looks at the breakdown in forecast global inverter shipments from European-headquartered manufacturers.
September 24, 2026
MITECO has launched consultations to allocate up to 11GW of grid capacity to renewable energy and storage projects.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
November 3, 2026
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
February 2, 2027
London, UK
Solar Media Events
April 20, 2027
Istanbul, Türkiye