TotalEnergies has launched its largest photovoltaic solar power plant in France, with a capacity of 55 megawatts.
The solar farm is located northeast of Gien (Loiret) and comprises 126,000 photovoltaic panels spread over 75 hectares.
The plant will produce around 64 gigawatt-hours per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 38,000 people, and keep more than 550,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere during its lifetime.
The photovoltaic project is part of a sustainable, responsible approach designed to support the development of renewable energies in France.
To involve site neighbours and share the value created by these projects with the regions, the plant was built with a participative financing amounting to 2.2 million Euros, to which residents of the Loiret and surrounding areas largely contributed.
The company has also put in place measures required to protect biodiversity, including the creation of bat shelters and the construction of a pond to promote amphibian reproduction.
TotalEnergies teams will operate and maintain the plant locally throughout its 30-year operating lifespan.
TotalEnergies Renewables France chief executive officer Thierry Muller said the company had once again confirmed its commitment to the development of renewable energies in partnership with the regions.
Muller added: “The commissioning contributes to France’s energy transition and is a further step towards our goal of reaching four gigawatts of renewable generation capacity by 2025.
“It reinforces our commitment to be a major player in renewable energy in France.”
In mid-November TotalEnergies was awarded 51 megawatts of solar projects in the tenth round of the French Energy Regulatory Commission tender.
The eight winning projects will be commissioned by the end of 2023 and then operated and maintained by TotalEnergies teams, whose local workforce is expected to grow.
In the last ten bidding periods, TotalEnergies has won 707 megawatts of solar projects, placing it second among all developers in France.