Europe’s biggest floating solar farm could power a large town

Berlin-based renewable energy firm Q Energy has secured €50mn in debt finance to complete work on Europe’s largest floating solar farm, set to power up next year.

The plant is already under construction at the site of a former quarry in the Haute-Marne region of France. Once finished, the farm will comprise 134,649 floating solar panels covering an area equivalent to 180 football pitches. The huge 73MW array will cater to the electricity needs of around 37,000 people, Q Energy estimates. 

Floating solar farms — or “floatovoltaics” — work much like their land-based cousins, but on water. Each one comprises an island of panels, mounted atop a buoyant platform, and anchored to the bottom of the water body by cables.

Floating solar is getting its moment in the sun
While they only make up a small percentage of total solar energy generation, global  floatovoltaics capacity has skyrocketed in recent years, from just 68MW in 2015 to over 3GW in 2022. 

Floatovoltaics offer some distinct advantages over land-based PV. The cooling effect of the water can help cool the panels, boosting efficiency. By covering the surface of a reservoir or lake, floating arrays also reduce evaporation, saving precious fresh water. But the biggest selling point is that floating solar panels don’t use land. 

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