Alstom and Soitec sign an agreement to create a French alliance for concentrated photovoltaic power plants

Alstom and Soitec, a world leader in generating and manufacturing semiconductor materials of extreme performance for the electronics and energy industries, have signed a cooperative agreement in order to provide concentrated photovoltaic power plants.

This agreement follows the call for tender issued by the French Energy Regulation Commission1, last March 13th, in order to exploit solar power plants using whole or in-part concentrated photovoltaic technology, for a total power capacity of 100 MW.

In order to propose a complete and competitive offer, Alstom and Soitec will combine their experience in delivering turnkey power plants and in providing integrated solutions and main equipment for power generation on one hand, and concentrated photovoltaic technology, on the other hand. Soitec’s high efficiency solar modules are well suited to the solar power production in the South of France.

Alstom and Soitec are seeking to create a sector of excellence, which will create jobs and be ready to meet the challenges of the French energy transition. These future power plants will also showcase and promote concentrated solar photovoltaic power plants internationally.

“This cooperation with Soitec demonstrates Alstom’s wish to develop its offer and technologies for renewable energies. With Solar CSP (Concentrated solar Power or solar thermal) we are able to deliver equipment for large capacity units. Thanks to our cooperation with Soitec in concentrating photovoltaic, we will propose a perfectly complementary offer for high efficiency power plants with flexible capacity and rapid deployment”, said Jerome Pécresse, President of Alstom Renewable Power.

“This cooperation with Alstom confirms that our concentrated photovoltaic technology is essential to answer to the growing demand in France and globally, for a clean, reliable and competitive energy”, said André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé Soitec CEO.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar energy, including both Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaics could account for 25% of global electricity by 2050 and cover a third of global energy demand after 2060.

1 CRE (Commission de Régulation de l’Energie) is an independent administrative authority in charge to regulate the energy sector in France. Its call for tenders to build and operate power plants harnessing solar energy with individual capacity of over 250 kWp was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on March 9th, 2013