Sumitomo Corp plans to take a stake in photovoltaic facilities now under construction in southern France and slated to come onstream next year. If all goes to plan this would be the first participation by a Japanese company in a French solar power project.
Eco Delta Developpement, a French renewables developer based in Marseilles, is building 30 MW of solar plant facilities in Les Mees, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence through its subsidiary Delta Solar. Siemens Energy received the order for the six turnkey photovoltaic plants in June. Siemens will handle the construction of the power plants which are scheduled to go on line in stages starting in the summer of 2011.
The facilities will be built on an area extending across 66 hectares on the Puimichel plateau. Siemens will be responsible for all aspects of construction including civil works, supports, inverters, transformers, grid connection, control system and structures for the 111 000 solar panels. The order includes an operation and maintenance agreement.
Sumitomo will obtain a 49.9% stake in the management company already established to oversee the plant operations. and will also carry half of the project's costs. The facilities will supply power to a French power utility for 20 years, ensuring stable earnings, according to Sumitomo.
The French government plans to increase its domestic solar power generation capacity from roughly 130 MW to 5.4 GW in 2020. With France and other European countries expected to pursue solar power projects, Sumitomo aims to accelerate its investment in the region.
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