The construction of Isère’s first floating solar power plant dubbed Saint-Savin floating solar power plant has begun in Saint-Savin, southeast of Lyon, France. The power plant project is being developed on a quarry lake or rather a gravel pit in a bid to improvise the pit so that it can produce renewable energies.
Energ’Isère is developing the Isère’s first floating solar power plant project in collaboration with Ciel & Terre and GenSun. Ciel & Terre is a pioneer and world leader in floating solar power with more than 120 projects using its patented Hydrelio® system. GenSun on the other hand is a photovoltaic EPC providing solutions for companies, communities, developers and investors.
Reportedly, Ciel & Terre is offering a complete turnkey floating solution for the Saint-Savin floating solar power plant. These solutions include sizing the floating platform and designing the anchoring system. The company will also supply and install the floating structure and its anchoring system.
Upon completion, Isère’s first floating solar power plant which is one of the 100MW floating solar power plant projects signed by Ciel & Terre’s EMEA team in 2024, will have a capacity of 11MWp.
Saint-Savin floating solar power plant to be the first to use aiR Optim technology in France
In addition to being Isère’s first floating solar power plant, Saint-Savin floating solar will also be the first in France to utilize the new version of Ciel & Terre’s Hydrelio technology, the aiR Optim.
Based on a high-density polyethene (HDPE) floating structure that can support modules of up to 670W in size, this new version of Hydrelio technology is a result of more than 13 years and upwards of 300 projects’ return on experience in floating solar.
It facilitates the operation of FPV power plants owing to a new float design that makes it easier to operate on, manage wires and install junction boxes and/or string inverters. The technology is also compatible with almost all photovoltaic panels in the market according to Ciel & Terre.
Moreover, the aiR Optim technology which has already been deployed in Brazil, India and the Netherlands, is highly modular, offering a wide range of configurations as a result to suit each project and its performance requirements.
Saint-Savin floating solar power plant compatibility with the site it sits on
Floating solar is reportedly perfectly compatible with other activities such as mining or quarrying and Ciel & Terre can tailor the development of such projects to the needs of the site.
The site conditions and respect for the basin’s environment were therefore given priority during the conception and design of the Saint-Savin floating solar power plant thanks to Ciel & Terre’s expertise.
According to Marie Bonte, Ciel & Terre’s project manager for Saint-Savin’s project, Ciel & Terre considered all criteria and parameters provided to design the Isère’s first floating solar power plant and arrange the site in a way that will allow the quarry activities to continue even when the FPV enters into its operation phase.
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