Iberdrola has announced its first floating solar power plant project in France. The plant will be developed on the basin of the gravel pit of Bischwiller, in Alsace, with an installed production capacity of 25 MWp, producing about 27 GWh of green electricity per year. This project strengthens Iberdrola’s position in France in the production of green energy, in addition to its wind projects already in operation.
A floating solar power plant on an active gravel pit
The floating solar power plant will be developed, built and operated by Iberdrola on the basin of the gravel pit of Bischwiller, whose land is partially owned by the municipality of Kurtzenhouse. This gravel pit is currently operated by the company Eqiom Granulats. Iberdrola will take into account the presence of these activities during the construction and operation phase of the plant, and will guarantee their continued operation. The floating solar power plant will occupy an area of approximately 13.5 hectares of the 28 hectares available on the site.
By the end of 2026, 10,000 Alsatian homes will be supplied with green electricity
Iberdrola launched the environmental and technical studies in January 2023, in order to determine the most suitable technological solution for the project and the site. These studies will be completed in early 2024, and the building permit application is expected to be filed in the spring of 2024. Commissioning is scheduled for late summer 2026 for a 30-year operating period.
The solar plant will have an installed generating capacity of 25 MWp and will produce approximately 27 GWh of green electricity annually. The electricity produced will be injected into the distribution network to supply nearly 10,000 Alsatian households.
Spin-offs for the territory
The solar power plant project will have a positive impact on the local economy by employing approximately 80 people during the construction phase and 6 direct and indirect jobs for maintenance. Iberdrola intends to give preference to local companies for the execution of the project.
Marc Moser, mayor of Kurtzenhouse, underlined the importance of this project for the territory: “The implementation of this floating solar power plant represents a real opportunity for our territory. This green energy production project contributes to the energy autonomy of the territory while fighting against global warming”.
Iberdrola diversifies
Iberdrola currently operates 11 wind projects in France with a total installed capacity of 118 MW. The company is also developing a portfolio of wind and photovoltaic projects of more than 800 MW in different phases of development, from its offices in Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Nancy, Bordeaux, Limoges and Marseille. Iberdrola is currently building a 496 MW offshore wind farm in the Bay of Saint-Brieuc that will be commissioned in December 2023.
Iberdrola has established a long-term presence in France and is now diversifying into the development of floating solar projects on active industrial sites. Thierry Vergnaud, Director of Iberdrola France’s onshore wind and photovoltaic division, said: “We are very proud to contribute to the development of green energy production solutions alongside the municipality of Kurtzenhouse. This project strengthens Iberdrola France’s position in the Grand Est region”.
- News
- Solar
More from across PES
‘Invisible met mast’ deployed at Wilson Renewables’ Bankend Rig III Wind Farm
Natural Power’s Wind Resource Assessment sees 12-month wind Lidar campaign with ZX Measurement Services The Wilson family supports clean energy generation with the aim of contributing to ‘Net Zero’ and protecting the planet for future generations. Bankend Rig 3 is the latest proposed development by Wilson Renewables, a subsidiary of Wilson Forest Products, consisting of… Read more »
BW Ideol unveils its standard floating foundation for mass production with a disruptive market approach
During the FOWT event in Marseille, BW Ideol, one of the global leaders in the sector, unveiled its brand-new market approach combining standardization and mass production to a selected panel of utilities and partners. With over 22 GW already awarded in Scotland, around 8 GW in the USA, and several GW currently being awarded or… Read more »
Associated British Ports to showcase sector leading experience at Offshore Wind Connections conference 2024
Associated British Ports (ABP) is pleased to announce its participation as a Gold Sponsor at the Offshore Wind Connections 2024 (OWC2024) conference and exhibition, taking place on May 1st – 2nd at the Doubletree by Hilton, Hull. Celebrating its eleventh year, OWC2024 has established itself as one of the premier events in the UK offshore… Read more »
Chemitek Solar’s Solar Wash Protect and Water Softening Agent are the World’s first products proven safe to use on Floating PV
Chemitek Solar, a leader in biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning and protection solutions for the solar industry, is pleased to announce the results of its ecotoxicity study on its Solar Wash Protect (SWP) and Water Softening Agent (WSA) products for use in the cleaning of Floating PV (FPV). This new report, conducted by the Portuguese… Read more »
ABB manufacturing site in Santa Palomba reducing carbon emissions by 675 tons a year
Italian production facility adopts Net Zero blueprint Achieved with renewable energy, innovative smart grid and photovoltaic panels Building management system monitors and controls energy consumption for ultimate efficiency The Italian production site for ABB residual current devices (RCDs) and energy meters in Santa Palomba is reducing its CO2 emissions by 675 tons a year. In addition to its… Read more »
450 Wp glass-glass modules: Solarwatt sets new TOPCon standard
24th April 2024, Dresden, Germany – Maximum output, sustainable and fair: with a new generation of solar modules, Solarwatt is once again emphasising its role as a trendsetter for pioneering product innovations in the solar industry. The Dresden-based company is now offering solar modules with the highly efficient TOPCon cell technology with an output of… Read more »
LONGi introduces Tera silicon wafers for TOPCon, heterojunction and back-contact cells
CBED installs permanent gangway on Wind Creation and signs contract for new project
Fluke takes major step forward as a leader in solar solutions with the new Fluke Solmetric PVA-1500HE2 PV Analyzer
Online Magazine Reader
- Solar/PV
- Wind
- China