Iberdrola wins municipal 25-MWp floating solar project in France

Iberdrola SA (BME:IBE) said on Thursday it had won a project for a 25-MWp floating solar plant in a tender process that a municipality in France’s Alsace region launched in June 2022.

The municipality of Kurtzenhouse selected the Spanish utility to develop, install and operate the floating plant on the basin of the Bischwiller gravel pit.

The pit is partly owned by the municipality, and is currently operated by building materials specialist Eqiom Granulats, which extracts and markets sand and gravel of alluvial origin, Iberdrola said.

The company plans to install the solar panels on an area spanning some 13.5 hectares of the 28 hectares available at the site. Operations at the gravel pit will not be disturbed during construction and operation of the power plant, Iberdrola said.

The project is now that the phase where the company is conducting environmental and technical studies to select the most suitable solution for the project and the site. The studies will be finalised in early 2024.

Iberdrola expects to apply for a building permit in the spring of 2024 and commission the solar arrays in late summer 2026.

The floating panels will be in operation for 30 years, producing around 27 GWh of electricity per year. The electricity will be uploaded to the distribution grid for local consumption.

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