EDF, Cero Generation acquire French agroPV programmer with 2.4 GW solar portfolio

• EDF Renewables has actually partnered with a brand-new portfolio business of Macquarie's Green Investment Group to acquire a French agrophotovoltaic programmer with a 2.4 GW solar portfolio.

The offer will certainly see EDF Renewables as well as Cero Generation each purchase a 45% equity risk in Green Lighthouse Development (GLHD), with the remaining 10% had by the company's owners.

GLHD's agroPV projects colocate agricultural task with solar power manufacturing, an option that the firm expects to be significantly essential in France, as the country aims to reach up to 44GW of set up PV by 2028.

"France has extremely ambitious prepare for solar power. Agrivoltaic projects offer a chance to provide that passion, while supporting crop production and giving farming neighborhoods with added revenue streams," said Nikolaj Harbo, CEO of Cero Generation.

Introduced earlier this year, Cero Generation is a business of Macquarie's Green Investment Group that has an 8GW solar development portfolio, spanning European markets such France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Poland and also the Netherlands.

For EDF Renewables, the procurement enhances the EDF Group's Solar energy Plan, which intends to grow the company's PV capability in France to 30GW by 2035, and adheres to information in February that business has actually begun construction work on its first floating solar project in its residence market.

"EDF Renewables is delighted by the opportunity to buy Green Lighthouse Development, that are ideally positioned to utilize the arising agrivoltaic market," stated Nicolas Couderc, EDF Renewables' executive vice-president, France.

With land access a significant hurdle for future solar development in France, tidy power profession body Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables has teamed up with the nation's farming market to explore dual land use with PV projects. The association's chief executive informed PV Tech that solar can be a "extremely fascinating compliment" for France's farming market.

Various other recent developments in Europe's agroPV section have seen BayWa r.e. expand a PV plant in the Netherlands to help shield fruit from extreme weather condition, while Enel Green Power is partnering with colleges and study organizations to check out how to integrate farming tasks together with large-scale PV projects in southerly Europe.

In Spain, meanwhile, 2 area agroPV projects that are being constructed to understand the influence solar shading carries the growing of tropical fruit are set to be connected to the grid later on this year.