The European Commission (EC) has approved a $6.7 billion scheme to support renewable power generation from small solar installations located on buildings in France. The scheme has been approved under the European Union (EU) state aid rules. It is expected to help France to add approximately 3,700 MW of additional capacity of solar energy in the country.
At present, France has a total installed capacity of over 11 GW of solar power, with a majority of it installed in the southern region. The country faces poor availability of land or suitable conditions for really large solar parks. However, several projects over 50 MW in size have been auctioned off in recent months.
The scheme will help France to achieve its energy targets of producing 33 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030, beyond nuclear power. France has also committed to reducing the share of nuclear energy, which accounts for over 75 per cent of its current energy supplies, to 50 per cent by 2035. The transition requires a greater push towards solar and wind power.
The EC also approved a $35 billion scheme to promote the production of electricity from renewable energy sources in France last month. The two schemes will complement each other and further stimulate the development of renewable energy in France.