Featured in The Quality Issue – 04-2019

Playing by the carbon footprint rules

Developers and manufacturers looking to enter France’s utility-scale segment must deal with controversial rules which prioritize projects relying on low-carbon emission modules. But what makes a low-emission module? Clearly ones that are made in France or elsewhere in Europe, according to market data. But despite clearly increasing project costs, the rules do not seem to be an obstacle for the planned gigawatt-scale growth of solar in the country over the coming years.
Emiliano Bellini
By
Emiliano Bellini
The Civaux Nuclear Power Plant in western France. | Image: Civaux Communications

In 2019, France is the only country that has decided to prioritize projects with solar modules produced with low-carbon manufacturing processes in its public tenders for utility-scale rooftop and ground-mounted PV plants. The carbon footprint requirements embedded in the so-called CRE4 tenders held by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), have often been described as …

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