Ciel & Terre Starts Constructing 11 MW Floating Solar Project In France

Ciel & Terre Starts Constructing 11 MW Floating Solar Project In France. Photo: Pexels

Floating solar company Ciel & Terre has begun the construction of 11 MW floating solar project in Saint-Savin, south-east of Lyon, France. The project is being built using aiR Optim technology. The floating solar project at Saint-Savin is company’s first power plant in France that is built using this technology.

The Saint-Savin floating solar project will be installed on a quarry lake which will be upgraded through the production of renewable energies. Energ’Isère has developed the project and is working in collaboration with Ciel & Terre alongside GenSun for various aspects of the floating solar platform construction. Upon completion, the project will represent 11MWp and form a single island in the middle of the lake.

According to a press release by the company, a turnkey floating solution has been made for the floating solar plant project. This includes sizing the floating platform and designing the anchoring system. The supply and installation of the floating structure and its anchoring system is done by Ciel & Terre.

“Floating solar is not standard. Indeed, each project is different and requires considering the site characteristics,” said Marie Bonte, Ciel & Terre’s project manager for Saint-Savin’s project adding “We have considered all criteria and parameters provided to design the FPV plant and arrange the construction site to fit with the quarry activity to keep its operation fully active.”

Several other international projects using aiR Optim technology are currently being installed around the world such as in Brazil, India and recently in the Netherlands.

The aiR Optim version facilitates the operation of the power plant. This happens because of a new float design that makes it easier to operate on, manage wires and install junction boxes and/or string inverters. The technology is compatible with almost all photovoltaic panels in the market.

Several Indian PSUs and private companies in India are also trying to commission floating solar power across the country. For example, NTPC started one of India’s largest floating solar project at Ramagundam in Telangana on the premises of its Thermal Power Plant. SJVN and NHPC, another Indian PSUs have also tried hands to develop floating solar plants in India.