Lille, June 05, 2023 – Ciel & Terre has now exceeded 1.5GWp of projects with giant floating solar projects currently installed and 400MWp under construction. Ciel & Terre is one of the leading companies in the floating solar market for 13 years. With more than 280 projects installed in more than 30 countries, it represents an equivalent of 820MWp of green energy currently in production. The company has become a trustworthy Gigawatt player with the greatest experience in floating solar on the market.
Floating solar pioneer reaches 1.5GWp in its pipeline by 2023 : Ciel & Terre emerged as a gigawatt player
Since the installation of the very first megawatt-scale project in 2013 in Japan, Ciel & Terre has designed, anchored and built floating solar plants in dozens of countries around the globe. The company’s track record reached more than 280 projects installed worldwide. Globally, it represents around 820MWp energy production. No other company around the world has build as many FPV plants. Indeed, there is more than 1.5GWp in the total pipeline of the French floating solar company. The figure includes projects currently being designed or under construction.
Ciel & Terre is also known for the large diversity of floating solar applications. Actually, the company has already installed several projects on quarry lakes, irrigation ponds, hydro dams, water treatment plants, industrial ponds, and waterways such as Kayamkulam (India 73.4MWp), one of the latest FPV projects installed in India, but also protected sea shores like Changbin (Taïwan 88MWp).
Image: Kayamkulam (73.4MWp) project installed on a waterway by Ciel & Terre India.
The company’s upcoming giant floating solar projects
Ciel & Terre Taiwan and Ciel & Terre India are currently building two other very impressive projects.
The first one is the continuation of the initial project Changbin located in Taiwan. The power target is about 192MWp, installed on a sea area. As for the first step of the project, one of the main challenges for this extension involves managing the effects of salty water on metallic parts. This is managed with a very careful selection of materials. For example, an anti-corrosion screw set solution is used. Another challenge is the waves and tides which are quite demanding for the anchoring in a cyclonic zone. Ciel & Terre Taiwan created an innovative anchoring system that distributes the anchoring loads according to the tide level.
Image: Changbin floating solar project installed in Taiwan nearshore.
The installation process for the second one, situated on a vast cascading reservoir in Central India, is underway and will ultimately reach 120MWp. The site is actually quite challenging in terms of environmental loads considering :
- the wave height
- the water depth
- the nature of the rocky lake bed
These loads are very specific to such type of application on dams. Ciel & Terre’s scope goes from the design of the FPV plant and its anchoring to the installation. Ciel & Terre India’s own factory produced the floats for this second project too. It is also specifically installed near to the site to limit transportation costs and carbon emissions.
Several other projects exceeding 50MWp are also in progress in various countries. As a gigawatt player, Ciel & Terre aims to deliver a cumulative 2GW of floating solar projects by 2026.
About Ciel & Terre, a new gigawatt actor and world leader in floating solar power
Founded in France in 2006, Ciel & Terre previously specialized in developing and installing rooftop and ground-mounted solar power plants in France and La Reunion. In 2010, the company pioneered the concept of “solar on water” with its innovative and patented Hydrelio® technology. The first MW-size industrialized floating solar system in the world was installed by C&T in Japan in 2013, bringing now a ten-year experience in harsh conditions. Floating solar directly addresses the lack of space and land use conflicts. Ciel & Terre develops its projects around the world on artificial ponds such as hydroelectric dams, water treatment or irrigation reservoirs, quarry lakes, industrial reservoirs, and now on near-shore sea areas.
Ciel & Terre provides a complete turnkey solution from the engineering of the plant and its anchoring to its installation and maintenance. As of today, the company has built more than 280 projects in the world, representing a total of 820MWp in 32 countries. Ciel & Terre ascended to become a gigawatt player in the market.
By Chloe, Marketing
