Q Energy, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate the Hanwha Group, is set to commence construction on an ambitious floating solar project in north-eastern France later this month. With a substantial capacity of 74.3 megawatts (MW), this project will claim the title of the largest floating photovoltaic (PV) project in Europe.
Having secured the Les Ilots Bladin solar farm tender last year, Q Energy is gearing up to commission the project by “early 2025.” The solar farm will be situated on the grounds of a former quarry in the Haute-Marne department. It will feature over 130,000 solar panels, with the floating structure provided by floating solar solutions provider Ciel & Terre.
Significantly, the project's capacity has been expanded from its original plan, which targeted the delivery of 66MW of solar capacity. Q Energy has already inked agreements with companies such as Ciel & Terre International, Solutions 30 Sud-Ouest, and Perpetum Energy to handle the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the project.
Arnaud Goupil, Q Energy's regional solar director, remarked, “This milestone marks the culmination of four years of development, proof of our determination to support the transition to cleaner energy sources. It perfectly illustrates our purpose to empower a sustainable world with green energy. This floating power plant is the first in a long series, as our teams are currently developing a broad portfolio of nearly 300MW of projects of this type.”
This venture serves as Q Energy's inaugural step towards establishing a more extensive floating solar portfolio in France. The company has recently restructured several of its European projects, co-developing a 300MW portfolio in the Netherlands last September and divesting a 78MW Spanish portfolio to an “internationally active investor” in June this year. Nonetheless, France remains a focal point for Q Energy, with plans to construct 6 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable power capacity in the country.
This development augurs well for the burgeoning floating solar sector, which has garnered increased attention in recent years. According to Wood Mackenzie, global floating solar capacity is projected to exceed 6GW by 2031, although the distribution of new floating solar projects is expected to vary significantly. The top ten countries in terms of expected floating solar capacity by 2031 are all located in Asia, with each forecasted to have installed 500MW of floating solar capacity by that date.
Jean-Francois Petit, Q Energy France Managing Director, emphasised the pivotal role of floating solar power in Europe's energy mix, stating, “Les Ilots Bladin is a wonderful example of how water areas can make an important contribution to the energy transition. Q Energy is continuously focusing on new technologies to make further areas usable in harmony with nature and to supply Europe with green electricity.”
