France Closes the C&I Rooftop Photovoltaic Tender, With an Average Cost of €0.1021/Kwh

The French Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition has finalized the results of its sixth tender for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop solar projects, allocating 362.2 MW of new photovoltaic capacity. The auction concluded with a weighted average price of €0.1021/kWh, a figure that remains stable compared to the previous round. This tender, part of France’s 2021-2026 procurement program, fell just short of its 400 MW target for systems with capacities over 500 kW.

Auction Leaders and Allocations After France Closes the C&I Rooftop Photovoltaic Tender, With an Average Cost of €0.1021/Kwh

Energy major TotalEnergies emerged as the dominant force in this round, securing 80.1 MW, which accounts for 22% of the total capacity awarded. According to analysis from consulting firm Finergreen, other significant winners included French solar developer Urbasolar, which was awarded 30.1 MW (8%), and the Sun’R-RGreen partnership with 26.2 MW. A strong cohort of independent power producers also secured substantial capacity, highlighting the competitive landscape for developing solar energy in the country. Notable allocations went to Reden Solar (19.7 MW), Akuo (18.2 MW), Neoen (14.4 MWp), and Solveo Energies (13.9 MW). In total, 60 developers were successful, with 42 receiving contracts for projects exceeding 5 MW and 23 for smaller installations.

Tender Context and Historical Pricing After France Closes the C&I Rooftop Photovoltaic Tender, With an Average Cost of €0.1021/Kwh

This auction was the final round in a series initiated in 2021 to accelerate the deployment of large-scale rooftop photovoltaic systems, including installations on agricultural buildings, greenhouses, and carports. The average cost of €0.1021/kWh is almost identical to the €0.10195/kWh from the fifth tender in August 2023, where 378 MW was awarded, as noted by industry reports. This price stability contrasts with earlier rounds, which saw more fluctuation. The first and second tenders concluded at lower averages of €0.08312/kWh and €0.08257/kWh, respectively. The third round allocated 89.9 MW at €0.090951/kWh, while the smaller fourth round awarded 57.6 MW at a higher price of €0.10452/kWh, showing a gradual upward trend in cost before the recent stabilization.

Sources

1. [PDF] IEA-PVPS Report on PV Power Applications in France 2024
2. French C&I Solar Tender: TotalEnergies Dominates with 80.1 MWp – List.Solar
3. TotalEnergies Leads Latest Rooftop Solar Tender in France – SolarQuarter
4. France Launches 400 MW PV Tender For Over 500 kW Systems – TaiyangNews
5. France concludes C&I rooftop PV tender with average price of €0.09995/kWh – PV Magazine
6. France concludes C&I rooftop PV tender with average price of €0.09753/kWh – PV Magazine
7. France concludes C&I rooftop PV tender with average price of €0.09648/kWh – PV Magazine
8. France seeks 400MW solar PV in latest C&I tender – PV Tech