French renewable power producer and developer Akuo on Friday announced the commissioning of a 8.7-MWp floating solar photovoltaic (PV) park in Southwestern France’s Haute-Garonne department.
Installed in the Cape Verde Lake in Occitaine region, the Cintegabelle plant is Akuo’s second PV park and will be supplying electricity to more than 2,000 homes annually. Its output is contracted by Octopus Energy under an over-the-counter power purchase agreement (PPA) with a fixed price for 20 years.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is due to be held in September.
The Cintegabelle project will support Occitaine region’s goal to quadruple its solar PV generation by 2030 as part of a wider objective to become the first positive energy region in Europe by 2050. The scheme was realised with debt from Arkea Banque et Entreprises et Institutionnels, Caisse d’Epargne Aquitaine Poitou Charentes, Helia Conseil and MAIF Transition. Financial closing was achieved at end-2022.
Back in October 2019, Akuo brought online its first floating solar farm, the 17-MW O’Mega1 in the Vaucluse department of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region. The park was expanded to 22 MWp in size last summer. Akuo is currently working on its third floating solar project, in Gouts, Les Landes department.
