The municipality of Maripasoula, located in an isolated area of the Amazon rainforest in French Guiana, now benefits from a 1.2 MWc photovoltaic plant and a smart grid designed to improve local electricity management. This project was led by EDF power solutions and EDF Systèmes Énergétiques Insulaires (SEI), aiming to reduce reliance on imported fuel and reinforce grid stability.
A combined infrastructure to address local constraints
The plant, installed on a former landfill site, supplies approximately 2,500 people, or a quarter of Maripasoula’s population. It is paired with a 1.2 MW storage system and an Electric Management System (EMS) that adjusts electricity flows in real time. The system balances supply and demand, integrating solar energy into a mix previously based entirely on thermal power.
Developed since 2018, the project is part of a broader electrification programme by the EDF group, aimed at offering tailored solutions for the logistical and geographical challenges of this off-grid municipality. The smart grid technology reduces energy loss while ensuring continuous supply to local residents.
Direct economic impacts on the territory
Ten jobs were created during the construction phase, and two permanent positions were established for operating and maintaining the facilities. In parallel, road developments were carried out to improve infrastructure access, indirectly supporting local businesses and services.
During the inauguration, EDF highlighted the project’s contribution to the reliability of the local electrical grid. EDF’s regional director in French Guiana, Martin Voisin, stated that these investments marked “a decisive step for the energy autonomy of the municipality.” The mayor of Maripasoula, Serge Aneli, emphasised the site’s repurposing and the project’s impact on the local economy.
Part of regional energy planning
The Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana confirmed that this solar plant is part of the ongoing revision of the Multiannual Energy Programme (Programmation Pluriannuelle de l’Énergie – PPE). This plan aims to ensure full electricity access for interior municipalities through exclusively locally-produced decarbonised sources.
With this commissioning, EDF power solutions continues its strategy of developing energy infrastructure in isolated areas, combining local production, storage and intelligent control. These projects, although small in scale, help stabilise often fragile island networks while generating economic synergies across territories.
