Vincent Pinchou, project manager at French floating solar developer Ciel et Terre, stated: “Although the site covers 127 hectares, the actual surface area available for the floating panels was 45.5 hectares.” He added: “The shape of the plant also helped us optimize the design, planning, and construction. For example, we maintained a rectangular structure as much as possible, which allowed us to standardize the strings with 27 modules each. In total, 5,000 strings were thus assembled in a uniform manner.” The plant comprises six islands with capacities ranging from 8 MW to 17 MW.
Ciel et Terre supplied 230,000 recyclable high-density polyethylene floats, managing anchoring, module, and inverter installation. Its French factory produced up to 8,000 floats weekly, enabling simultaneous assembly of three islands. Perpetum handled inverter procurement and constructed 16 substations, while Solutions30, the lead contractor, managed cabling and commissioning. DAS Solar, which supplied the 550 Wp PERC modules from its Quzhou facility in Zhejiang, China, plans to establish a gigafactory in France. Vincent Cao, DAS Solar’s marketing manager, noted the project’s design began over two years ago.
Pinchou explained the panels were installed at a 5-degree tilt to optimize density and stability, as steeper angles would require more spacing and floats due to shading and wind resistance. Q Energy, the project developer, views floating solar as a promising technology for northern France. Corentin Sivy, development director of Q Energy France, highlighted the challenge of competing with ground-based solar in tenders by the French energy regulator, emphasizing the need for tailored economic frameworks.
In September 2024, Q Energy secured over €50 million ($57.9 million) in funding from Crédit Agricole Transitions & Énergies and Bpifrance. In early 2025, Velto Renewables, a Spanish renewable energy company, acquired a 50% stake in a portfolio of five Q Energy projects, including Les Ilots Blandin. Lucas de Haro, CEO of Velto Renewables, stated: “This partnership with a well-established French company has allowed us to establish a solid foothold in France. And we're here to stay.”
The project supports France’s renewable energy goals by repurposing former industrial sites for sustainable power generation, enhancing local solar potential and contributing to cleaner energy production.
