Wedoany.com Report-Nov 18, Neoen, one of the world’s leading producers of renewable energy, has announced that it has been awarded 164 MW of solar and agri-solar projects in the latest call for tenders held by the French government’s Energy Regulation Commission (CRE).

Thanks to these seven projects, Neoen ranked first in terms of capacity awarded in this session and remained, with 642 MW, the top awardee in the ground mounted solar plant category for the whole PPE2 calls of tenders. These new awards take Neoen’s secured capacity in France to over 2.5 GW.

Commissioning of the solar plants has been expected to be phased between 2026 and 2029, and in 2032 for Tourneuve (73 MW) due to the completion of grid upgrade to be undergone by the grid operator.

This new success demonstrates Neoen’s ability to develop large scale solar projects across the country. While developing these projects, Neoen worked closely with local and state authorities and stakeholders in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions of France. This joint effort ensures that these projects are well accepted by the local communities while meeting both their energy needs and environmental goals.

Four of the awarded projects are agri-voltaic projects, which combine clean energy generation with agriculture. Over half of Neoen’s solar projects in France features an agricultural element, further strengthening its expertise in this sector. By partnering with renowned agricultural specialists, Neoen places agri-voltaic at the core of its development strategy in France.

Guillaume Decaen, director of business development for France, said: “We are extremely proud of this achievement. I would like to thank all our local stakeholders for helping us obtain the necessary approvals and the farmers for placing their trust in us. 2023 was a record year for Neoen in France, with nearly 500 MW of solar and wind capacity awarded in the CRE tenders. We are well on track to repeat this performance in 2024 and we will continue, alongside our local stakeholders, to develop virtuous and competitive projects that accelerate the energy transition in our regions.”

Xavier Barbaro, CEO of Neoen, concluded: “I would like to congratulate the Neoen team on this success, which reflects our sustained commitment to developing high-quality projects. Thanks to our significant pipeline in solar, wind and storage, we are determined to further strengthen our contribution to the energy transition, in France and around the world.”