The projects -- developed and owned by Photosol, a French renewable energy company -- are being constructed in the country's Auvergne and Midi-Pyrénées regions: three plants, with a total capacity of 37MW, are located in the communes of Dompierre sur Bresbe, Gennetines and Marmanhac; a fourth facility, with a capacity of 11MW, is being built in Sarrazac. Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services for all four projects are being provided by Jayme da Costa Energie, a leading French engineering company and a longstanding Photosol partner since 2011.
The plants have been designed to have a minimal impact on the communities and ecosystems in which they are located. While three of the facilities are built on pastureland, allowing landowners the additional benefit of being able to graze livestock at the sites, the fourth is sited near an oak forest and includes access for wild animals.
"As France actively promotes the adoption of solar energy, these projects will contribute towards the country's efforts to diversify its energy mix," said D
avid Guinard, managing director of Photosol. "We expect these projects to make a significant local impact by providing communities with clean energy and contributing significantly to Europe's CO
2 reduction goals."
Paris-based Photosol has developed solar power plants with a total capacity of 63MW across
France and has a project pipeline that exceeds 250MW. The four power plants are the largest ever undertaken by the company and also mark the first time it has partnered with
First Solar, which recently announced plans to construct a
250MW solar power plant in Riverside Country, California.