Neoen, a French renewable energy provider, has been awarded 180 MW of solar and wind power capacity in the French government’s technology-neutral call for tenders. The auction process was supervised by France’s energy regulation commission, CRE. As per the company’s statement, Neon was awarded the most capacity in the auction process, with the 180 MW being split between 11 projects with capacities ranging from 12 MW to 22.8 MW. In collaboration with local and national officials, landowners, farmers, and other stakeholders, the projects will be developed throughout the nation’s various regions.
Neoen was awarded the Isle-sur-Marne and Morhange II solar projects in the Grand Est region, which have a combined capacity of 42.1 MWp. Morhange II is a solar photovoltaic (PV) farm expansion for Neoen. Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in 2023. The company was also given nine additional farms in the Pays de la Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Normandie, Grand Est, and Bourgogne-Franche Comté. The combined capacity of the nine wind assets is 137.8 MW. Neoen owns the majority stake in each of them. The wind farms will be capable of generating 300 GWh of clean energy annually once they are up and running.
In September 2022, Neoen Australia submitted planning documents for the construction of a stand-alone 1 GW/4 GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) near Collie, Western Australia. Reportedly, the big battery would be constructed on a 31-hectare location 12 km to the northeast of Collie and 215 km to the southeast of Perth. The battery is anticipated to be built in five stages, each of which would have a capacity of 200 MW/800 MWh.
REGlobal’s Views: Such auctions will help to encourage private sector participation in France’s renewable energy sector. The country is looking at extensive green energy capacity additions to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels especially amidst the current energy crisis.
