Paris, October 9, 2023 – EDF Renewables celebrates the 10thth anniversary of the Toul-Rosières photovoltaic power plant. Made up of around 1.4 million solar panels and an installed capacity of 115 MWp, this park is the most powerful operated by EDF Renewables in France.
Located on the former NATO air base 136, in Meurthe-et Moselle, this plant produces low-carbon electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of 55,000 inhabitants (heating included). Made up of 1.4 million photovoltaic panels, the plant occupies a total area of 367 hectares.
This former air base, built in 1952, placed under NATO and then French command after 1967, was closed definitively in 2004. The site has undergone numerous developments to support its reconversion. During technical studies, environmental diagnostics showed a significant level of soil pollution in certain locations. As a result, 8,000 tonnes of soil were evacuated to an approved treatment center. 280 military buildings and constructions, including 170 containing asbestos, were deconstructed. The construction phase, between June 2011 and May 2012, mobilized up to 700 people on the site. Half of them were recruited locally.
EDF Renewables has endeavored to take into account all the environmental issues of the site, as with all its projects. Wooded islands have been preserved inside the power station to create biological corridors and allow the movement of wildlife. Sensitive environmental areas and those hosting natural habitats have not been covered with solar panels in order to preserve their role for biodiversity. Honey plants were introduced to encourage the development of bees. Likewise, specific roosts and nest boxes have been installed to rehouse bats and birds present in disused buildings. All these measures have made it possible to maintain the presence of species on the site for 10 years.
Carlotta Gentile-Latino, Director of Land Activities France at EDF Renewables, said : " We are proud and happy to be able to support the region for 10 years in its energy transition. The Toul-Rosières photovoltaic power plant fully participates in the carbon neutrality objective set for 2050 by the Government. Proof of its good operational performance, the plant produced approximately 3% more low-carbon electricity than initially planned.