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Eiffage inaugurates first ground-mounted solar power plant in France
The annual production of 6.1 GWh of low-carbon electricity will cover the equivalent of the electricity needs of 21% of the population of the local council community of Bresse Haute Seille.
www.eiffage.com
As part of its low-carbon strategy, the APRR motorway network has entrusted teams from TotalEnergies with the construction and operation of a 5 MWp photovoltaic power plant in the commune of Mantry, on land no longer required for motorway operations. The plant was inaugurated in the presence of elected representatives and partners.
Its design and visual integration, close to the A39 motorway, have been carefully studied so as not to dazzle drivers. The annual production of 6.1 GWh of low-carbon electricity will cover the equivalent of the electricity needs of 21% of the population of the local council community of Bresse Haute Seille (i.e. almost 3,850 inhabitants) and will reduce CO2 emissions by 109 tonnes a year.
In addition to its energy contribution, the solar power plant is part of an active approach to biodiversity, with the implementation of various measures to preserve the ecosystem on the site:
- Artificial shelters have been installed along the riverbanks, providing safe spaces for chiropterans, particularly the Great Murin.
- Specific passageways have been created to ensure the safe movement of small animals, such as hedgehogs and wild rabbits.
- A pond has been created, providing a favourable habitat for amphibians, in particular the Lessona's frog.
- Hibernacula have been created to provide reptiles with suitable shelter for the cold seasons.
"The Mantry solar power plant is an example of the intelligent conversion of land that is no longer being used to generate electricity into a resource that can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of the motorway. It demonstrates APRR's determination to enhance the value of the areas through which its infrastructure passes, by providing practical solutions in the public interest. It shows what we can achieve when we combine our strengths, expertise and convictions. This installation brings to seven the number of solar power plants currently operational on the APRR motorway network, i.e. 41 MWp deployed over 46 hectares," explains Philippe GIGUET, APRR's Asset Management Director.
