Solar Plant brings Power to the South of France

Martifer Solar (Portugal), a subsidiary of Martifer SGPS, has completed an 11 MW solar PV plant in the South of France for Eco Delta, an independent developer and operator of wind and solar farms. The project is located in Ginasservis, which is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France.

The 11 MW project was built within only 10 weeks, which signifies the quick time-to-power capabilities of Martifer Solar. The company was responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and will also manage the subsequent operation and maintenance (O&M) service for the PV plant.

Henrique Rodrigues, CEO of Martifer Solar, said, “The completion of this PV plant is a key indication of Martifer Solar’s success and leadership in mature markets, such as France. As the market is moving towards a post-FiT era, we are prepared to advance our business model in order to drive down the LCoE and to match the evolution towards increased national tender processes and self-consumption projects.”

Martifer Solar completed the PV plant on an area of approximately 200,000 m2, using 42,592 modules installed on fixed structures. The 11 MW plant is expected to produce an estimated 17 GWh/year. With this production capacity, the plant will offset 1,345 tons of carbon dioxide on an annual basis, which is sufficient energy to power more than 7,400 inhabitants in the South of France per year. In addition to the significant environmental benefits that the project provides to Ginasservis, it also provided more than 150 jobs throughout the course of construction.

Chantal GASS, CEO of Eco Delta, stated, “As the developer, owner and operator of this 11 MW solar PV plant, Eco Delta is happy to contribute to the growth of the French renewable energy market. This is our 15thPV plant in operation. We have collaborated several times with Martifer Solar in France and they have always exceeded our expectations in terms of expertise and flexibility within the PV sector.”

A recent report from the Ministry of Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development shows that approximately 1% of the country’s electricity demand has been met with solar PV. Given the growing electricity rates and the country’s levels of solar irradiance, there is significant room for development in the maturing French PV market.

Davide Pacheco, Country Manager of France for Martifer Solar, said, “We are proud to deliver this 11 MW project to Eco Delta on time and within only 10 weeks, which attests to our reliability and proven capability as a leading EPC player. This accomplishment contributes to the clear path set by recently appointed French Energy Minister, Mrs. Segolene Royal, promising green growth and added jobs for the country, where solar energy is undoubtedly an affordable and competitive solution when compared to other energy sources.”

Martifer Solar has been present in France since 2009 and has implemented close to 50 MW of solar projects throughout the country. In the most recent report from reputable research firm, iHS, Martifer Solar is the 5th largest integrated European installer and 11th in terms of PV Integrator market share in France.