Europe's Largest Floating PV System Has Been Successfully Connected to The Grid.
Recently, the French floating photovoltaic system jointly developed and constructed by Eolys and Q Energy France has been successfully connected to the grid for power generation. As the largest floating photovoltaic system in Europe, this project not only sets a new height for photovoltaic applications in the French region but also marks an important milestone for Eolys in expanding its international footprint.
Since its launch in 2023, the project has undergone scientific site selection, ecological assessment, and precise design. It has finally been successfully implemented on the surface of Les Ilots Blandin Lake in central France, where it is now fully operational. The lake area was originally a subsidence water body formed by quarrying operations. Now, through the model of "surface photovoltaics + ecological restoration", it has been transformed into a demonstration sample of sustainable energy.
The total installed capacity of the project is 74.3MW, covering an area of 127 hectares on the water surface. Over 135,000 pieces of double-sided double-glass high-efficiency modules independently developed by Yidao Xinneng have been laid. These modules adopt a front-and-back double-glass encapsulation structure, which provides stronger moisture and corrosion resistance compared to traditional backplane modules. They can effectively cope with complex climatic challenges such as high humidity and salt spray in the lake environment.
The dual-sided power generation performance of the components is fully utilized with the enhancement of reflected light on the water surface, significantly improving the overall power generation efficiency. At the same time, it features zero water permeability, low attenuation rate, and excellent long-term reliability, facilitating stable and efficient operation of the project throughout its lifecycle and further reducing the overall operation and maintenance costs.
According to estimates, the annual power generation of this power station is sufficient to cover the daily electricity needs of approximately 37,000 residents, reducing over 18,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually and contributing "clean power" to France's energy structure transformation and carbon neutrality goals.
Compared to traditional photovoltaic systems, floating photovoltaic systems offer multiple advantages such as not occupying land resources, reducing water evaporation, inhibiting algae growth, and enhancing module efficiency. It is gradually becoming the choice to address land scarcity and climate challenges. The successful grid connection of the floating photovoltaic system in France marks the first large-scale implementation of new energy water surface photovoltaic technology in the European market, but this is not the first time that new energy has ventured into this field.
As a provider of full-scenario photovoltaic solutions focusing on three major series: ecology, cities, and water surfaces, Yidao New Energy has already accumulated rich practical experience in the field of "water surface solutions" and has built multiple floating benchmark projects with industry influence.
The most representative one is the 650MW floating photovoltaic power station in the wind, solar, and energy storage integrated base in southern Fuyang, Anhui Province. This power station is also currently the world's largest single floating power station. Built in a coal mining subsidence area, the project fully integrates the "fish-photovoltaic complementarity" model, not only efficiently utilizing water surface resources but also achieving the organic unity of energy development and ecological restoration, becoming a classic example of "photovoltaic + ecological governance".
In recent years, the European market has become a key area for the overseas strategic layout of Yidao Renewable Energy. To enhance service efficiency and brand responsiveness, the company has established a subsidiary in Germany, setting up a localized operation system that integrates market expansion, customer service, and technical support. Currently, the construction of Yidao Renewable Energy's factory in France is steadily progressing. In the future, it will further enhance the localization of production and manufacturing, achieve full-process optimization from component delivery to after-sales response, and accelerate the construction of a green manufacturing network that serves Europe and radiates to the world.
The grid-connected power generation of floating solar projects in France not only injects continuous green energy into the local energy system, but also provides a "Chinese solution" for Europe to address climate change and energy security challenges. In the future, Yidao Renewable Energy will continue to deepen the integrated innovation of "photovoltaic + scenarios", continuously promote the global implementation of efficient modules and diversified application models, and help build a cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable energy system.
