Consortium to construct Europe's largest PV power project

French renewable energy company Neoen has announced the development of a solar farm and extra-high voltage substation in Cestas, near Bordeaux. A consortium comprising Eiffage (acting through its Clemessy subsidiary RMT), Schneider Electric and Krinner has been awarded a contract for the construction, operation and maintenance of the project.

Worth €285 million and providing a total peak capacity of 300 MW, the facility represents the largest photovoltaic power project in Europe. The farm, which comprises several power plants, will be connected directly to the extra-high voltage power grid and will generate more than 350 GWh a year - enough to cater for the daytime power consumption of the entire population of Bordeaux.

“These power plants will constitute the largest and one of the most competitive solar parks in Europe, demonstrating the ability of this technology to play a leading role in the French and European energy mix,” said Neoen CEO Xavier Barbaro. “We are also delighted that a consortium of French companies will undertake its construction.”

The project will call on the expertise of RMT for engineering studies, Eiffage Energia for connection work and Eiffage Travaux Publics for earthworks. Schneider Electric will bring a complete solution for the management, control and supervision of the energy produced in this plant, covering the complete electrical conversion chain. Krinner will meanwhile provide the screw-in foundations and photovoltaic structures.

Work on the project is to begin immediately, with the farm set to come on line in October 2015.