EDF Announces World's Largest Solar Power Site

What will be the largest solar energy site in the world is being pieced together in France by energy firm EDF at a former military facility, it emerged on March 2nd 2010.

The vast photovoltaic plant should be up and running in two years time - EDF-EN (Energies Nouvelles) spokesperson Jean-Marc Dall’Aglio told media representatives – and it will cover a 415 hectare expanse. Its capacity will be 143 megawatts: sufficient to provide power to thousands of homes, he added.

The 60-MW Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park in Spain is the largest solar facility in present use. It is comprised of over 160,000 individual solar panels which, combined, electrify in excess of 40,000 houses.

EDF Solar Plant

The EDF solar plant is just one of a number of large-scale solar sites being developed at the present moment, in countries including Australia and the US. It will be located at Toul-Rosieres Air Base – an ex-front line French Air Force base that was closed down six years ago.

The base is in the region of Lorraine, in the North West of France and – according to Dall’Aglio – ease of accessibility was one reason behind this site being chosen for the solar plant. “We're hunting all the time, everywhere”, he said. “In Toul-Rosieres the advantage is that the site is available straight away.”

France: Solar Power

Once it is put into operation, the EDF photovoltaic plant will increase France’s solar power capacity four-fold. Despite this, the country will still not be as active a producer as countries like Spain and Germany, which produce 1,671 megawatts and 1,505 megawatts of energy, respectively.

The solar site’s construction will involve around 150 workers, EDF’s representative added. The work they will carry out will include asbestos removal, he said.

EDF Energies Nouvelles was established in 2004 as a dedicated renewable energy firm. While initially concerned with wind energy, EDF-EN has embraced solar energy more and more in recent years.

News emerged towards the end of 2009 of a huge solar plant being developed at Californian US Army facility Fort Irwin. Its initial capacity is set to reach 500 megawatts and this could be doubled in future years.