Le Verdon-sur-Mer: a new solar power plant in France

A solar power plant will be installed in Verdon-sur-Mer, on the port terminal. This was announced by the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux (GPMB) and EDF Renewables after signing an agreement to build a photovoltaic power plant with a maximum capacity of 52 MWp at the port terminal of Verdon-sur-Mer in Gironde. Thisrenewable energy production project will make it possible to develop a former oil storage area and participate in achieving the carbon neutrality objectives set by the French government by 2050, with more than 100 GWp of installed solar capacity.

The implementation of a photovoltaic plant commitment to the ecological and energy transition

The GPMB is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, in collaboration with the economic players present on its sites. Indeed, it considers the transition to a renewable and carbon-neutral model as a real mutation on a territorial scale and an opportunity for reindustrialization. In this context, the authorities launched a call for expressions of interest (AMI) in October 2021 for the development, construction and operation of a photovoltaic power plant on an already developed 45-hectare site in Le Verdon-sur-Mer. After a competitive process, EDF Renewables was awarded the title of winner and began project development in March.

A solar power plant that will benefit the local actors of Verdon-sur-Mer

Construction of the plant will begin after a phase of technical and environmental studies and consultation with all the stakeholders in the area. The electricity produced can be sold in a short circuit to industrialists located at one of the seven GPMB terminals for self-consumption, via resale contracts (“Corporate PPA”), or through the State’s call for tenders mechanism.

This photovoltaic plant will increase EDF Renewables’ presence in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which currently operates 17 solar power plants with a combined capacity of around 200 MWp, including 4 in Gironde, as well as 7 onshore wind farms with a capacity of 91 MW.

Encouraging words from both companies’ executives

Jean-Frédéric Laurent, General Manager of the GPMB, declared: “This project constitutes a key stage and a first brick for the low-carbon reindustrialisation of the port. Bordeaux Port is now positioning itself as a major player in the production and supply of energy, notably electricity, to the industrial, port and logistics activities of the region. This commitment alongside EDF Renouvelables illustrates our capacity to act very concretely, in our port areas, for the ecological and energy transition”.

EDF Renewable Development Director Didier Hellstern said the project is a demonstration of their expertise in decarbonization and their commitment to the energy transition. Finally, he added that this project was perfectly in line with the EDF Group’s Solar Plan to become a market leader in France by 2035.

In conclusion, the signing of the agreement between the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux and EDF Renewables for the installation of a solar power plant at the port terminal of Verdon-sur-Mer marks an important step forward in the energy transition and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This project will make it possible to develop a former oil storage area while helping to achieve the carbon neutrality objectives set by the French government.