France To Tender Around 2 GW Solar In 2020

• France has announced the schedule for holding solar PV tenders in 2020 with a cumulative capacity of more than 2 GW
• First tender will be launched in January 2020 with 850 MW capacity, followed by another 1 GW in June 2020
• Already planned 300 MW rooftop solar tender in October 2019 will be followed by another 300 MW tender in February 2020

Come 2020 and France will launch two separate tenders for solar PV projects, both ground-mounted and rooftop, under its Programmation pluriannuelle de l'énergie or multiannual energy program (EPP). The first one with 850 MW will be launched in January 2020 and another with 1 GW capacity will be issued in June 2020.

Additionally, the government will seek bids for 300 MW capacity in February 2020, to be preceded by a 300 MW tender already planned for October 2019, all for rooftop solar.

The Minister for Ecological and Solidarity Transition, Elisabeth Borne made this announcement which will be officially published on the website of the Energy Regulatory Commission. She said this will help the country meet the targets set out in the EPP to achieve an installed capacity of 35.6 GW to 44.5 GW of solar power by 2028, increasing from the current 9.1 GW.

Under the EPP, the plan is to launch a cumulative of 17.2 GW of tenders between 2019 and 2024 comprising 300 MW of three separate tenders for the rooftop segment (see France Seeks Consultation On Energy Program).

In the sixth ground mounted solar auction concluded in August 2019, France contracted 858 MW of projects with capacity ranging from 500 kW to 30 MW with an average bidding price of €64 ($71.77) per MWh (see France Contracts 858 MW Solar Under PV Auction).