On September 24, 2021 near the Pagny navigation dam (Côte d'Or), Thierry GUIMBAUD, General Director of VNF and Cécile AVEZARD, Rhône Saône Territorial Director of VNF, officially signed with Julien GARÇON, General Director of LUXEL, the first partnership to develop photovoltaic power plants on the public river domain. By 2024, the three power plant projects identified will produce the equivalent of the average annual consumption of 4,110 homes or 9,000 people.
This signature follows an unprecedented call for projects launched in 2019 by VNF and won in 2020 by LUXEL, the subsidiary of EDF Renewables, which develops, finances, builds and operates high-power ground-mounted solar power plants.
The partnership, which is formalized in the form of temporary occupation agreements (COT) for a period of 30 years, concerns 3 sites in the Rhône Saône basin:
- 0.7 hectare in Pagny-le-Château near the Grande Saône (in Côte d’Or);
- VNF also worked to ensure that 3.7 hectares, owned by the neighboring town of Esbarres, were included in the offer in order to strengthen the economics of the project.
- 9.4 hectares in Replonges near the Grande Saône (in Ain);
- 4 hectares in Saint-Gilles near the Canal du Rhône à Sète and the Petit Rhône (in the Gard).
The total installed power will be around 19 MW for an annual electricity production estimated at 22.3 GWh (gigawatt hour), or the average annual consumption of 9,000 people.
The commissioning of the 3 power plants is planned for 2024, once the environmental impact studies, the preliminary administrative procedures and the construction of these power plants have been completed. These plants contribute to EDF's Solar Plan, which aims to make the Group one of the main players in solar energy in France, with 30 % market share by 2035.
Waterways of France, player in the energy transition
The establishment is therefore now launching into the field of photovoltaics with the ambition of developing the energy potential of the river network.
A national player in water resource management, VNF already benefits from strong expertise in hydroelectricity, either as a direct producer ("under management") or as an actor making the public domain available to a third party (fall water at the level of navigation works) as part of a call for expressions of interest. Today, more than 80 micro hydroelectric power plants are already in operation and around ten new power plants are being installed on the river network, including a project at the Pagny-le-Château dam. (in Côte d’Or).
ABOUT WATERWAYS OF FRANCE – www.vnf.fr
With 4,000 personnel mobilized to serve the river system, Voies navigables de France maintains, operates and develops the largest European network of waterways: 6,700km of rivers, canals and canalized rivers, 4,000 engineering structures (locks, dams, bridges -canals, etc.) and 40,000 hectares of public river domain.
The navigable network in the Rhône Saône basin, which extends over 4 regions (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie), brings together nearly 1,200 km of routes, including 625 km large gauge mainly dedicated to mass freight transport and river cruises.
Through its missions, the establishment meets three major societal expectations: – It creates the conditions for the development of freight transport; – It contributes to regional planning and tourism development; – It ensures hydraulic management by guaranteeing the safety of structures and the different uses of water and by fighting against flooding and water stress. It also promotes the development of hydroelectricity and preserves biodiversity.
About LUXEL
LUXEL has been developing and operating high-power ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants for more than 12 years throughout the national territory. LUXEL's businesses cover development, design engineering, construction and operation of facilities. Between 2017 and 2019, LUXEL ensured the construction of 12 power plants with a power of 60 MWp (corresponding to the CRE 3 and CRE 4.2 winners). It currently has a portfolio of 200 MW of new projects ready to be built or already under construction. With 155 MWp in operation and a portfolio of projects in development of more than 1.3 GWp, the Montpellier subsidiary of EDF Renewables is an integral part of the Solar Plan which aims to make EDF the leader in photovoltaics in France with 30% of market share by 2035.
For more information: www.luxel.fr
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luxel
About EDF Renewables
EDF Renewables is an international leader in renewable electricity production with installed wind and solar capacity of 13.8 GW gross worldwide. Mainly present in Europe and North America, EDF Renewables continues its development by taking a position in promising emerging markets such as: Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the Middle East. Historically active in onshore wind power and photovoltaics, the Company is now strongly positioned in offshore wind power and new technologies such as energy storage. EDF Renewables ensures the development and construction of renewable energy projects as well as their operation and maintenance. EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of the EDF group.
For more information: www.edf-renouvelables.com
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edf-renouvelables and on Twitter: @EDF_RE in French and @EDF_Renewables in English.