France has proposed revised targets for solar PV in the 3rd and final draft of PPE
It now envisions 65 GW to 90 GW of total installed capacity by 2035
The draft proposes an annual auction timetable, including a technology-neutral tender/year
The 3rd and final draft of France’s Multiannual Energy Programming (PPE3), as proposed by the country’s Ministry of Ecological Transition, proposes a solar PV target of 65 GW to 90 GW by 2035. This is a significant decline from its previously proposed 75 GW to 100 GW level.
To achieve 65 GW installed solar capacity by 2035, France will need to install 4 GW/year. The annual required limit increases to 7 GW/year to reach the 90 GW target. In 2023, France deployed 3.2 GW of capacity and 3.5 GW in 9M 2024 (see French Solar PV Installed Capacity Reaches 23.7 GW).
According to the draft, France will launch 2 calls/year for ground-mounted solar PV plants with 1 GW capacity sought each year, starting from H1 2025. For rooftop solar, it will launch 3 tenders/year with 300 MW capacity each. A technology-neutral tender will also be launched every year for a total of around 500 MW. It will be open to solar PV, hydroelectric and onshore wind projects.
Overall, the breakdown of the solar PV capacity is: 41% from small- and medium-sized roofs; 5% from small ground-mounted installations; and 54% from large-scale capacity, corresponding to 38% ground-mounted and 16% roof-mounted projects. For agrivoltaics, the target needs to be refined with a dedicated call for tenders to be decided.
Additionally, the draft document also targets up to 10 GW of solar PV components in various strategic links in the value chain by 2035. This includes 3 to 5 GW in the silicon value chain, 3 to 5 GW of ingots and wafers, and 5 to 10 GW of cells and modules.
The draft PPE3 represents the strategic roadmap of the country’s energy production and consumption for 2025-2035. It is now open to public consultation on the ministry’s website from March 7, 2025 to April 5, 2025.
The solar industry recently raised its objections to the government proposing to slash feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates for the rooftop solar segment retroactively (see France Raises Industry Concerns By Lowering Rooftop Solar Incentives).
.png?w=50&fm=png){kind=logo}