16 February 2017

First Solar modules to power 106.5MW of Photosol's utility-scale PV plants in France

French solar energy firm Photosol has selected the cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules of First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA to power 14 utility-scale solar power plants with a total capacity of 106.5MWDC. Developed and owned by Photosol, the projects are part of the third procurement round initiated by France's Commission de Régulation de l'Energie.

Located in central and southwest France, the plants will range from 4.5MW to 43MW in capacity. The largest will be in Burgundy. Jayme da Costa Energie (the French subsidiary of Portuguese engineering firm Jayme da Costa Group) is providing engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) for all the projects.

When completed, the plants are expected to supply almost 134,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity to the French electricity grid in their first year of operation (enough to power 23,000 average French households and to displace 5000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year). The plants' collective environmental footprint will be lowered by about 67% due to their use of First Solar's modules, which offer the smallest carbon footprint, fastest energy payback time and lowest water use of all solar technologies, it is claimed.

The new projects bring Photosol's total portfolio of PV plants, powered by First Solar modules, to almost 155MW. Upon completion, they will take First Solar's total installed capacity in Europe up to about 4.5GW.

"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," comments Stefan Degener, regional head of business development at First Solar. "It is a clear demonstration of how evaluating the environmental footprint can be effectively embedded in a competitive bidding process," he adds.

Tags: First Solar Thin-film photovoltaic CdTe

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