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

August 7, 2018
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.

3 November 2026
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2027. PV ModuleTech Europe 2026 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.

Read Next

January 30, 2026
India Power Corporation Limited has partnered with Bhutan’s Green Energy Power Private Limited to develop a 70MWp solar power plant in Paro, Bhutan
January 30, 2026
 Scatec has reported strong fourth-quarter results with proportionate revenues increasing 25% year-on-year to NOK3,362 million (US$2.68 billion).
January 30, 2026
A 132MW solar PV project from French renewables company Voltalia has been selected by the Tunisian government for construction.
January 29, 2026
Enfinity has started commercial operations at a 33.8MW solar PV project, the first in a portfolio from which Microsoft will acquire power
January 29, 2026
The cost of Chinese solar module manufacturing will rise in the first half of 2026, though prices may fall again before the end of the year.
January 29, 2026
PV module defects are increasing as manufacturers struggle to achieve consistent quality through robust bill-of-material and process controls.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Upcoming Webinars
February 18, 2026
9am PST / 5pm GMT
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA