Renewables developer Q Energy to commence 74.3 MW floating solar farm construction in France in September 2023

Header Image: Les Ilot Blandin floating solar project site. Copyright of Romain Berthiot, from Q Energy

Q Energy is soon to begin building a 74.3 MW floating farm in France, according to Renewables Now. The farm will be located at Les Ilot Blandin in the Haute-Marne region.

The floating facility will comprise six solar islands on 127 acres of space on disused flooded gravel pits. The islands will host 134,647 solar modules. Les Ilots Blandin will be Europe’s largest floating farm, with enough output to supply 37,000 people.

The project, launched in 2019, involves partners such as Solutions 30 SE, Ciel & Terre International, and Perpetum Energy. Construction will start this month, with commissioning expected in Q1 2025.

Q Energy has a pipeline of about 300 MW worth of floating solar projects.

Major renewable energy news this week

Nigeria completes 700 MW hydro plant

The Nigerian government has announced the completion of the $1.3 billion hydro plant on the Kaduna River near Zungeru. The new facility has an output of 700 MW. Mainstream Energy has won a 30-year concession to operate the plant, with $70 million to be remitted annually to the government.

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France approves winners for 1.1 GW of onshore wind energy tenders

The French government has given out contracts for more than 1.1 GW of tenders for its latest round of onshore wind energy bids. Seventy-three proposals got the nod, representing an average price of EUR 85.29 per MWh.

The latest bids will bolster France’s bid to meet its 2030 renewables targets.

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UAE to triple renewable energy production with $54 billion in investments

The UAE, the host of COP28, has announced it is tripling its renewable energy production before 2030. The oil-rich nation will invest up to $54 billion to achieve this target and meet its growing electricity demand.

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First power from Iberdrola’s first French offshore wind farm in Brittany

Iberdrola’s Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France has sent the first to the grid. The farm will supply 9% of Brittany’s electricity consumption, or about 1,820 GWh/year.

Production will increase as 62 wind turbines are added and commissioned.

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Renewables account for 61% of Portugal’s electricity in H1 2023

According to the National Energetic Networks, most of Portugal’s electricity needs were met with renewable energy, representing 61%. Photovoltaic production took 7%, natural gas supplied 19%, and biomass took 6%.

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US DoE to invest $1 billion in demand-side hydrogen initiative

The US Department of Energy is to invest $1 billion in a demand-side scheme to help meet the demand for hydrogen at regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) in the future. This will provide market certainty for the producers and the consumers in the H2Hubs, thereby encouraging more private-sector investments.

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