Frances brings live 3.5 GW of grid-connected solar in Jan-Sept
Source： Renewablesnow
France brought online 3,545 MW of solar parks in the first nine months of 2024 which lifted the country's cumulative installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity to 23,678 MW, new data shows.
Solar park in France. Image by: Neoen.
According to the statistics provided by the French energy ministry’s Department of Data and Statistical Studies (SDES), France had 1.08 million grid-connected solar parks in operation at end-September. The new additions in the first nine months of 2024, coming from 193,386 installations, represent a 17% year-on-year increase from a year back when 2,278 MW of solar parks were commissioned.
By region, New Aquitaine, Occitania and Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes headed the list in terms of new capacity deployments in January-September with 712 MW, 537 MW and 469 MW put on stream, respectively. Collectively, they accounted for 48% of the newly-connected PV parks in the nine months.
France’s PV parks produced 21.1 TWh of electricity in the three quarters up from 19.4 TWh a year earlier. Excluding the output of self-consumption plants, the generation supplied 6.2% of the national power demand.
The country’s pipeline of solar projects stood at 37.6 GW at the end of September, including 11.2 GW with grid-connection contracts in place.