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French know-how In the field of

RENEWABLE ENERGIES

© Tristan Paviot


Renewable energies are currently undergoing an unprecedented boom worldwide. They allow for the recovery of local energy sources as a sustainable response to numerous electricity, heating and transportation needs. In France, public and private stakeholders are striving to ensure that renewable energy accounts for 23% of final energy consumption by 2020. For over 20 years, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Énergie – ADEME) has been promoting the development of these energy sources in addition to implementing energy efficiency improvement policies. In the framework of the Grenelle environmental round table, the agency assumes since 2009 responsibility for the implementation of a vast ”Renewable Heat Fund” (Fonds chaleur renouvelable), which in nearly three years, has led to the establishment of over 1,600 heat production plants using biomass, solar, geothermal energy, etc. To promote the marketing of advanced technologies, the ADEME is also in charge of a major support programme for demonstration projects: ”Investments for the future” (Investissements d’Avenir), which puts the emphasis on renewable and carbon-free energy. At the heart of these schemes, French companies are providing efficient products and services for national and international markets. Through this brochure, I am pleased to present you the French expertise in the field of renewable energy, which combines innovation and industrial development to address the energy and climate challenges.

François Loos President of the ADEME French Environment and Energy Management Agency


© Laurent Mignaux – MEDDTL

Solar photovoltaic power station – Suburb of Narbonne

Context: a vast development process for renewable energies Renewable energies are primary energy sources which are inexhaustible in the very long term, as they are directly derived from regular or constant natural phenomena related to energy from the sun, the earth or gravitation. Hydroelectric, wind, solar, sea-based, biomass and geothermal energy are the main renewable energy sources.They are used to produce electricity, heat and fuels. Since 2007, the development of renewable energies has received a major boost in France with the implementation of a vast consultation process known as the “Grenelle Environmental round table” and the adoption of a European Directive on renewable energies. In this context, France has set a target of raising the proportion of renewable energies in the country’s final energy consumption to 23 % by 2020. This decision has been made in response to a triple challenge: 1. Address climatic and environmental challenges Greenhouse gas emissions, linked to human activities and the exploitation of fossil energy sources, are leading to a rise in the temperature on earth.This phenomenon threatens to have major impacts by jeopardising the climate, ecosystems and human societies. As they generate much lower levels of CO2 emissions than fossil energies, renewable energies help to combat climatic changes. Furthermore, they emit far fewer pollutants into the atmosphere than fossil energies, thus helping to preserve human health and the environment. 2. Increase the security of supplies Derived from resources which are in abundant supply and freely accessible throughout the country (sun, wind and water – including from the oceans – in addition to biomass and heat from the Earth), renewable energies increase the security of energy supply for France, which is highly dependent on the importation of fossil fuels. 3. Develop “green” industries The development of renewable energies leads to the creation of non-relocatable jobs and promotes the emergence of new industrial and technological sectors. In France, the production from eco-businesses in general amounted to 64.4 billion euros in 2009 and accounted for more than 427,000 jobs. Consistent mobilisation of French stakeholders In line with the targets set by the Grenelle Environmental round table, numerous French companies are already well positioned in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of production equipment and the sales of renewable energies. To support the development of these “green segments” of the economy, a dedicated team was established in 2010 within the French ministries responsible for the environment and energy, in order to define, implement and support priority actions in 18 strategic sectors. The different stakeholders (manufacturers, agencies, regions, etc.) are involved in this collaborative work. A consultative body also brings together companies in the environmental sector and the public authorities (the “Strategic Committee for Eco-Industries” [Comité stratégique des éco-industries]).These resources have been deployed to facilitate the organisation of different green sectors and help define the French strategy for renewable energies. In addition to the incentive schemes that have been established (e.g. feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity, tax credits, 0% interest loans, etc.), a consistent R&D scheme is currently allowing for the development of new technologies and their marketing. Public institutions such as the ADEME, OSEO (French support agency for SMEs) and Ubifrance (French Agency for International Business Development) are helping to mobilise stakeholders and disseminate these technologies on the French national and export markets. Local authorities are also actively involved in applying the national objectives at the local level and promoting new technologies. At the international level, the expertise developed by these public and private stakeholders is helping to make the most of the natural renewable resources of numerous countries, especially the developing nations.

French know-how in the field of renewable energies

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Public policies

Energy-compensated installation for lighting the Chapelle Saint-Julien (12th century) in Villeneuve de la Raho

Grenelle Environmental round table: an example of consultation The purpose of the Grenelle Environmental round table was to prepare for long term-decisions relating to the environment in France in a participatory manner. It was initiated in 2007 with the organisation of six working parties divided into five representative colleges (French State, local authorities, employers, employees and NGOs). After an initial period of reflection involving the working parties and a public consultation phase, the five colleges agreed upon 268 commitments which were then discussed in the French Parliament. The Grenelle 1 Act, which sets the targets and establishes the guidelines, was adopted almost unanimously in August 2009. The Grenelle 2 Act, adopted in July 2010, defines the concrete measures and their implementation. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and promoting renewable energies are the two energy cornerstones of the Grenelle Environmental

round table, with a target of increasing the proportion of renewable energies in the final energy consumption in France to 23 % by 2020. This means increasing the share of renewable energies in the energy mix by 20 million tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) compared with 2006.

© Paris - Jacques Le Goff

© Arnaud Bouissou – MEDDTL

To facilitate the growth of renewable energies and achieve the target of 23% of renewable energies in the final energy consumption in France, numerous incentive schemes have been implemented, from R&D through to the marketing of technologies.

Drilling, deep geothermal energy, CPCU, Paris

Numerous schemes to promote renewable energies ◗ Obligation to purchase electricity To create favourable conditions to the development of renewable energies, France has applied regulations concerning the obligation to purchase electricity. Electricity produced by renewable energy installations is purchased by the French electric utility EDF or the local distribution companies at tariffs set by the State and at a higher level than the market price in order to support the maturation of the different technologies. A specific pricing decree issued by the Ministries responsible for energy is applied to each sector, after the opinions of the Higher Energy Council (Conseil supérieur de l’énergie) and the Energy Regulation Commission (Commission de régulation de l’énergie) have been heard.The feedin prices are established with contract terms of 15 to 20 years and according to the specific characteristics of each type of energy. With regard to hydraulic energy, for example, the prices set since 1 March 2007 are 6.07 c€/kWh + a premium of between 0.5 and 2.5 for small plants + a premium of between 0 and 1.68 c€/kWh in winter, according to the regularity of production. For wind energy (onshore), the prices set since 17 November 2008 are 8.2 c€/kWh for 10 years, and then between 2.8 and 8.2 c€/kWh for the next 5 years and according to the implantation sites.


© Alstom/Fotolia

Nant de Drance hydroelectric power station

◗ Definition of quantitative targets in the framework of Multi-annual Investment Programming (Programmations Pluriannuelles des Investissements-PPI) PPI provides for the planning, by regulatory means, of French investments in electricity production resources in order to achieve the target of 23 %, with this target being applied to each energy sector. Since the introduction of an act in 2000, if the electricity production capacities do not conform to the PPI’s targets, the State may issue invitations to tender, which allow the chosen installations to benefit from preferential tariffs for the purchase of electricity. In the renewable energy field, several invitations to tender have been issued or are in the process of being issued, for example: • Three invitations to tender for biomass-based electricity production plants, • Two invitations to tender for wind power-based electricity production plants (onshore and offshore wind turbines), • Invitations to tender for the commissioning of solar power stations situated on the ground and on roofs. ◗ Renewable Heat Fund (Fonds Chaleur Renouvelable) Representing around one third of the final energy consumption in France, heat is mainly produced by imported fossil fuels. However, the production of heat from renewable energies has great potential. The Heat Fund (Fonds

lopment project which may constitute the “Energy-Climate” component of an Agenda 21 project. The PCET defines the territory’s strategic and operational objectives on the basis of a mandatory GHG emissions report. It aims both to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and help territories prepare to adapt in response to the effects of climate change. Under the terms of the Grenelle 2 Act, local authorities with over 50,000 inhabitants must produce a.PCET. To increase the consistency of the different territorial approaches, Regional Climate, Air and Energy Schemes (SRCAE) have been introduced. Jointly developed by the region and decentralised French government departments, the SRCAE provides a consistent framework for territorial actions and facilitates the coordination of regional and territorial objectives with the national, European and international commitments.

Chaleur) was created in France to finance projects in this sector. Endowed with 1.2 billion euros of funding for the 2009-2013 period, this fund operates in the form of investment subsidies or grants on the basis of the renewable kilowatt/hours produced, or indeed as a combination of these two types of aid. The processes concerned are biomass, solar thermal and deep geothermal energy, geothermal heat pumps, unavoidable heat, such as that produced by household waste incineration plants and biogas. In the framework of this fund managed by the ADEME, several invitations to tender have been launched since 2009. In three years, the Heat Fund has allowed for the establishment of more than 1,638 plants with the capacity to produce and distribute 790,000 TOE (tonnes of oil equivalent) of heat per year. ◗ Tax credit In 2005, France created a tax credit intended for private housing.This applies to heating facilities (condensing boilers), insulating materials, heating regulation appliances and connections to certain heat networks, for example, which are powered by renewable energies or combined heat and power plants. ◗ Territorial Climate and Energy Plans (Plans Climat Énergie Territoriaux – PCET) and Regional Climate, Air and Energy Schemes (Schémas Régionaux en matière de Climat d’Air et d’Énergie – SRCAE) The Territorial Climate and Energy Plan (PCET) is a territorial sustainable deve-

Élithis tower, a positive-energy building – Dijon

DEVELOPMENT TARGETS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE ENERGIES Renewable energies

Targets by 21 December 2020

Radiated energy from the sun

5,400

Biomass

2,300 total onshore offshore

Hydroelectric production

25,000 19,000 6,000 3,000

© B. Suard – MEDDTL

Wind and marine energy


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Supporting R&D and innovation Renewable energies occupy an increasingly important place in the French support system for R&D and innovation. Research projects are being established in major public research institutions, higher education establishments and innovative companies. Numerous chemes are also helping to ensure the industrial development of projects. Support for demonstration projects In the context of a major national loan that aims to relaunch French industry “Investments for the future“, a vast programme (2010-2014) costing nearly 1,35 billion euros has been dedicated to the implementation of “demonstration” projects concerning renewable and carbon-free energies. Demonstration projects are intended for pre-industrial experimenta-

tion of “breakthrough” technologies. In particular, they allow companies to take a technological and financial risk between the research phase and the mass-production of new eco-technologies. Initially, “strategic road maps“ are created with the support of experts in public research and industry. These forward-planning exercises are intended to identify the key issues, the prospects for long-term deployment, the obstacles affecting the development of future technologies and the associated research and demonstration needs. On the basis of the identified needs, calls for declaration of interest (CDI’s) are then launched to identify and select the projects to be carried out. Numerous CDI’s have been launched, particularly in the fields of marine energies, 2nd generation biofuels, solar and geothermal energy, etc. The projects are cofinanced in the form of subsidies, reimbursable advances

Odeillo solar furnace: leading site for R&D in the field of solar energy – CNRS/PROMES Developed in the Pyrénées Orientales département of France in the 1960s, the Odeillo solar furnace is one of the two largest solar furnaces in the world. Solar light is captured by a field of 63 mobile plane mirrors, and then reflected onto a large 1,830 m² parabolic mirror before being concentrated on a target with a diameter of approximately 80 cm situated in a tower furnace.The temperature obtained can reach 3,400°C and the furnace generates 1,000 kW of power. The different installations on the Odeillo site (ten 1 to 2 kW solar furnaces, one 5 kW solar furnace, one 50 kW parabolic converter and, coming soon – at the end of 2012 – one 150 kW cylindro-parabolic pilot loop with storage), managed by the PROMES laboratory of the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), are adapted both to fundamental, high-risk research and more applied research that may extend to the industrial pilot level, especially in the thermodynamic conversion of solar energy (receiver and storage) field. The availability of high levels of solar radiation and/or high temperatures without contamination, and the capacity to control the atmosphere (pressure, vacuum and composition), create unique instruments for studying the synthesis of materials, solar chemical processes including the thermo-chemical cycles of the production of hydrogen and synthetic gas, the thermo-physical behaviour of materials in extreme conditions and the fundamental physics of high radiation levels.

and equity holdings in companies. The development of demonstration projects at the international level will, if necessary, allow for the testing of certain technologies in an environment that is more conducive to their validation. The ADEME, with its experience acquired through the Research Demonstrator Fund (Fonds démonstrateur de Recherche) that it had launched in 2008 on these same topics, has been appointed to manage this programme. Verifying the performance of eco-technologies using the ETV system Launched by the European Union, the ETV (Environmental Technology Verification) programme allows companies that sell innovative eco-technologies to have their performance claims verified by a recognised and independent body. Seven European Union countries are currently testing this system (by performing pilot operations), which also covers the energy sector. The ADEME is responsible for coordinating this programme in France. Volunteer companies provide accredited verification bodies with all the information and test data concerning the technology to be examined. Based on these elements, the organisation judges whether the performance claims put forward by the company are justified. It can request additional tests, if necessary, before making its decision. A verification report is then drafted and can be used by the company to convince its first buyers or reassure investors or insurers about the new eco-technology. OSEO: supporting the innovation and growth of SMEs OSEO is a French public institution unlike any other in Europe, which has three roles for promoting the growth of SMEs: supporting innovation, guaranteeing bank financing and equity capital interventions, and financing investments and the operating cycle,


© Christian Weiss - ADEME

Heat exchangers – Pilot project, deep geothermal energy at Soultz-sous-forêts

IEEDs: Institutes of Excellence in the field of Carbon-Free Energies (Instituts d'excellence dans le domaine des énergies décarbonées) Accredited by the French State, the IEEDs are interdisciplinary platforms in the field of carbon-free energies, bringing together the skills of training institutions and public and private applied research laboratories, along with prototyping and industrial demonstration resources, if required, and economic stakeholders, on a campus-sized site. These long-term partnerships, mainly on a single site, allow for the strengthening of the ecosystems formed by the competitive clusters. The IEEDs are responsible for generating cooperative projects, training activities and shared investments. They can thus receive support for these activities amounting to around 50 % of the resources deployed. The first accredited IEEDs are as follows: • France Energies Marines (FEM) – (France Marine Energies) – Renewable marine energies – based in Brest (Bretagne),

Competitive clusters: French clusters for economic growth and employment Competitive clusters are cornerstones of French public policy for innovation and R&D.They bring together companies (SMEs/SMIs and large groups), research laboratories and higher education institutions on a single site and cover the entire value chain, thus uniting public and private innovation capacities on projects of high potential. This “concentration of knowledge” at the territorial level strengthens R&D efforts and improves the competitiveness and growth of French industry. To stimulate the emergence of projects, invitations to tender are issued by the public authorities. These invitations to tender amounted to 1,5 billion euros of financing for the 20092011 period. In addition, French local authorities bring their support and the clusters benefit from a special tax system. France has around ten clusters working on the different renewable energy processes (consult the “Contacts” section on page 39).

• Geodenergies – in the field of geotechnics – Orléans (Centre region), • Greenstars – Bio-refinery of micro algae – bassin de Thau (LanguedocRoussillon region), • IFMAS – Green chemistry – Villeneuve d'Ascq (Nord-Pas-de-Calais region), • INDEED – Eco-technologies and carbon-free energies – Lyon (Vallée de la Chimie-Solaize), • IPVF – Third-generation photovoltaics – Saclay (Île-de-France region), • PIVERT – Innovations in Plants,Technological Research and Education – Venette (Picardie region), • Supergrid – High and very high tension electricity grids – Villeurbanne (Rhône-Alpes region), • Vedecom – Terrestrial transport and eco-mobility – Satory (Île-de-France region).

© CNRS – PROMES

in partnership with banking establishments. This specificity allows OSEO to offer a complete range of financing to support companies at each stage of their development, from their creation through to their transmission. Nearly 80,000 companies are supported by OSEO each year. In the framework of the “Investments for the future” Programme, the State has appointed OSEO to implement a new financing system: Prêts Verts Bonifiés (“green” loans with interest rate subsidies). These loans are intended for financing competitive investments integrating environmental protection issues or for facilitating the marketing of products concerning environmental protection and the reduction of energy consumption.

Odeillo solar furnace


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Technological and Industrial development Wind power At the global level, wind power has been developing at a rate of nearly 30 % per year for the past ten years or so. As an abundant, competitive, inexhaustible and non-polluting energy source with no impact on the climate, wind power has numerous assets. Today, wind power represents a very dynamic market of nearly 50 billion euros per year, employing more than 670,000 people worldwide.

In 2010, the installed capacity for wind power globally amounted to over 200 GW, representing approximately 2 % of total electrical consumption worldwide. The Global Wind Energy Council predicts that this capacity will double by 2014. In December 2011, there were nearly 4,000 wind turbines in France, for an installed capacity of 6.6 GW. Wind power alone should be capable of achieving 25 % of the target set by France for renewable energies by 2020. By this time, the French fleet must have a total installed capacity of 25 GW, including 6,000 MW offshore. The process is already gathering momentum: around 500 wind turbines, i.e. 1,000 MW are commissioned in France every year, which is the equivalent of 1.5 thermal power stations or approximately one nuclear reactor. The wind power segment currently accounts for nearly 11,000 jobs throughout the value chain in France.

© Leosphere

Mature technologies Wind turbines are extremely reliable electricity production facilities. The wind turbine availability factor (percentage of time during which a wind turbine is operating, when permitted

by the wind resource) is 98 %. Thanks to technological advances, the power of wind turbines increased tenfold between 1997 and 2007. Today, a single 2 MW turbine satisfies the domestic energy needs of around 2,000 people. An average 12 MW wind farm prevents the emission of 8,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. French companies are investing In addition to several French manufacturers of wind turbines, such as Alizeo, Alstom-Wind, Areva-Wind and Vergnet, France has a very dense industrial fabric offering all of the skills and expertise required for manufacturing the constituent parts of a wind turbine and for satisfying the assembly, installation and maintenance needs of wind turbines. For examples, the French company Rollix Defontaine is the world leader in ball bearings for wind turbines. Nexans, a global leader in the cable industry, is also very active in the field of undersea cables for offshore wind farms. 170 French companies are currently contributing to the wind power industry throughout the entire value chain, from the production of compo-

Windcube V2 wind lidar – Leosphere DIAGRAM SHOWING THE VALUE CHAIN FOR ONSHORE WIND TURBINES PREPARATION OF SITE

ROAD WORKS - TRANSPORT BY EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE GOODS VEHICLE

●

● Geotechnical studies Foundations and earthworks ● Electrical engineering

ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY OF WIND TURBINE Onshore – Mini wind turbine – Offshore

●

MANUFACTURE OF COMPONENTS

● Castings Masts and bases ● Nacelles ● Blades ● Flanges and slewing rings Electrical equipment and fittings ● Mechanical parts ● Brake ●

CONNECTION TO GRID

COMMISSIONING

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

To consult the directory of French manufacturers and suppliers of the wind power industry, visit: www.enr.fr/‘Nos annuaires’/‘Filière éolienne’

Windustry France: The French Wind Power Industry The Windustry France initiative brings together over 300 companies which are active on the French wind power market or which are preparing to enter this market, and represents the French subcontracting offering for the entire wind power energy chain. It promotes regional industrial expertise that can be transposed to both onshore and offshore wind power industries and is capable of sustaining jobs at risk while creating new ones. It also involves several local approaches, most often concerning major business sectors (automotive industry, aeronautical industry, engineering, etc.) or based around port business areas (Dunkirk, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Brest, Nantes Saint-Nazaire, Bordeaux, etc.). Different ministries, administrations and regional stakeholders are also associated with this initiative and help to make Windustry a collective industrial policy strategy. www.windustry.fr

EDF EN: numerous wind farms and solar photovoltaic power stations abroad Active in Europe and North America, EDF Energies Nouvelles brought several new wind farms into service in 2011, including Seyitali (30 MW) in Turkey,Trikorfo (24 MW) in Greece and Lakefield (205.5 MW) in the United States.The company has also announced the acquisition of 324 MW of wind power projects in Mexico and is managing the construction of projects in Quebec. In solar photovoltaic energy, EDF Energies Nouvelles has commissioned numerous solar farms in the host countries, including: Loreo (12.6 MWc) in Italy,Valdecaballeros (11 MWc) in Spain, Xirokambi (6 MWc) in Greece and Elmsey (23.8 MW) in Canada. Allowing wind turbines to “see” – Leosphere Leosphere is the global leader in atmospheric measurements by LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging – Radar-Laser), which is capable of gathering information about atmospheric parameters such as particulate or gaseous air pollution, humidity, wind and turbulence of 0 to 15 km. Light, small, mobile and easy to use, the “WINDCUBEv2” wind LIDAR is designed to calculate wind speed and direction. In contrast to a fixed mast, the WINDCUBE v2 is mobile and measures wind at heights of 40 m to 200 m. This wind profiler carries out measurements which are crucial to the evaluation of onshore and offshore wind farms, the technical acceptance of wind turbines and the operation of wind farms. Vergnet wind turbine, United Kingdom

© Vergnet Wind Turbines

nents to the engineering, installation and maintenance of wind turbines. Furthermore, nearly 150 other French companies possessing industrial expertise similar to that deployed in the wind power industry (mechanical, aeronautical, iron and steel-making, electrical engineering, civil engineering, shipbuilding, etc.), have expressed an interest in diversifying into this sector. This figure emerged from a 2010 survey of 400 manufacturers.

Decentralised energy production for the agricultural sector in the United Kingdom – Vergnet VERGNET, the leading French wind turbine manufacturer, with 700 wind turbines operating on the FARWIND© cyclonic market, provides an illustration of a European market for decentralised wind power production in the PROXWIND© network. The “Poacher’s Cheese Wind Turbine” project is an ideal example of this booming market. In Lincolnshire, a farmer who manufactures his own cheese, recently joined by six other farmers, have installed Vergnet 275 kW wind turbines with very good profitability over 20 years, thanks to the high incentive-rate tariffs in the United Kingdom, but also in Ireland, Italy, Romania and Lithuania.

© Jacques Le Goff – ADEME



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© Areva

© Alstom


Alpha Ventus wind farm, Borkum, North Sea – Areva Wind

Development of offshore wind power Offshore wind power offers many advantages due to the power and consistency of ocean winds. With an offshore target of 40,000 MW, this energy could account for 10 % of the European Union’s electricity production by 2020. However, at present, the cost of electricity produced in this way remains

high (1.5 times to twice as expensive as electricity produced by onshore wind turbines, but with higher production). The need to reduce the fixed costs of an offshore wind power station implies measures such as increasing the unitary power of the machines, which shall exceed in the mid-term 5 MW (as opposed to approximately 2 MW for

Examples of technologies Areva Wind: a proven offshore technology AREVA designs, manufactures, assembles and commissions high-efficiency wind turbines – the M5000 model, producing 5 MW – specifically for the offshore market. Since the installation of the first prototype in 2004, the M5000 has already produced 170 GWh of electricity, with an availability rate of over 95 %. Thanks to orders already taken in Germany, over 120 turbines will be installed by the end of 2014. Alstom Power and the development of a 6 MW offshore wind turbine Alstom Power, benefitting from its 30 years of experience as a supplier of global wind energy solutions, has recently developed an offshore wind turbine named Haliade 150 – the first 6 MW new-generation offshore wind turbine – each of which will be individually capable of supplying electricity to the equivalent of 5,000 households. Capitalising on its tried and tested ALSTOM PURE TORQUE® technology, which guarantees the reliability of the transmission line, Alstom has developed a gearless offshore wind turbine adapted to all conditions.The first prototype will be tested on land and then at sea in 2012, with series production starting in 2014.

Haliade 150 offshore wind turbine – Alstom Power

an onshore wind turbine or the 2.5 to 3.5 MW currently operating in the North Sea). France has the 2nd largest potential for offshore wind power in Europe. It has set itself the target of achieving a total installed power of 6,000 MW by 2020, i.e. approximately 1,200 wind turbines producing 3.5 % of the French electricity consumption. This target will be attained by means of invitations to tender. The first invitation issued in 2011 concerns the development of 3,000 MW of capacity in 5 specific areas of the French coastline (Le Tréport, Fécamp, Courseulles-surMer, Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Nazaire). The French offshore wind power industry is growing rapidly and can rely on the experience of numerous SMEs and major French groups such as Alstom Wind, Areva Wind, EDF EN, GDF SUEZ and companies specialising in shipbuilding, the oil industry and boilermaking, such as STX, DCNS, firms specialising in the construction industry, such as Eiffel,Vinci and its subsidiary CMP, in addition to companies specialising in offshore activities, such as Technip.

WINFLO floating offshore wind turbine

WINFLO project: the multi-megawatts offshore floating wind turbine for depths from 50 to 200 metres WinFlo – a multi-megawatt floating offshore wind turbine – is designed for windy maritime areas at depths of 50 to 200 metres. The aerogenerator and floating structure, developed jointly, are optimised for maximum electricity production, reliability and longevity.The lightness of the nacelle, the floatability of the assembly and its flexible anchorage, make this floating wind turbine suitable for all types of sea bed. A demonstrator will be tested in 2013 off the French coasts. The first preproduction models will be manufactured in 2015-2016. The project, managed by Nass&Wind, is being developed in partnership with DCNS, the Vergnet Group, IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea) and the ENSTA engineering college in Brittany.

Development of floating wind turbines While bottom-mounted offshore wind turbine technology is currently limited by the depth of the sea beds (approximately 40 m), innovative floating wind turbine technology will increase the potential to exploit wind energy at depths of up to 200 metres. In the framework of the “Invesments for the future” programme, the “Marine energies” call for declaration of interest, overseen by the ADEME, has especially allowed for the financing of two demonstration projects in the floating offshore wind turbine sector: Vertiwind and Winflo.

VERTIWIND project: the French floating wind turbine with a vertical axis The Vertiwind demonstration project involves EDF EN, Nenuphar, Technip and a consortium of partner manufacturers in the development of a floating vertical axis wind turbine. With a height of 100 m for 2 MW of power and equipped with a vertical axis-based structure to increase its stability, this wind turbine will have a floatation structure that only requires a draught of around ten metres and which will significantly facilitate the installation, maintenance and towing of the wind turbine. The demonstrator will be tested in the Mediterranean.

Small wind turbines – A large potential for development Installed in urban environments or on isolated sites, small wind turbines produce power of less than 36 kW and are between 10 and 35 m tall, with diameters of between 2 and 10 m.This type of installation, combined with a power storage facility, is especially useful for supplying isolated sites which are not connected to the national electricity grid.

Nheolis – a prototype seawater desalination unit based on a small wind turbine and solar energy Specialising in small wind turbines, Nheolis is developing desalination units operated exclusively by renewable energies: small wind turbine, solar photovoltaic energy and solar thermal energy.

© Nheolis

Specially designed for small production volumes (5 to 10m³/day) and for isolated sites, these turnkey systems guarantee completely autonomous drinking water and electricity production. They are “containerised” to international transportation standards for simplified logistics. The desalination technique used (“MED” – Multiple Effect Distillation of water) requires no chemical treatment and there are no pollutant emissions. Indeed, it is possible to recover the most important compounds – sodium, magnesium, rubidium and caesium – from the effluent, which makes the economic balance of the system extremely attractive.

Nheowind 3D 100 wind turbine – Nheolis


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© Winflo



Marine energies The sea is an environment with abundant energy flows that can be exploited in different forms: ocean current energy, tidal energy, wave energy, offshore wind energy, ocean thermal energy, marine biomass and osmotic energy. Worldwide, tides have an estimated power of 100 GW. As for wave

energy, the exploitable resources at the global level could amount to between 140 and 750 TWh/year. According to the World Energy Council, these resources could satisfy from 1 to 4% of the annual global demand for electricity. France has the second

biggest maritime surface area in the world.There is thus a significant exploitable energy potential, especially along the English Channel and the Atlantic coast. Great Britain has the largest European potential, estimated at more than 10 GW, followed by France with an installable potential of 3 to 5 GW.

MAIN STAKEHOLDERS Underwater turbine generators

Wave energy converters

Ocean Thermal Energy

Tidal power stations

DCNS (Open Hydro) Alstom EDF Sabella + Veolia ECN, Ifremer

DCNS (CETO) SBM (S3) ECN STX Ifremer Alstom

DCNS + EDF + STX Ifremer

La Rance tidal power station (240 MW)

Numerous demonstration projects

© O. Diaz – Sabella

Sabella underwater turbine generator: The Sabella D10 project concerns experimentation with a 500 kW underwater turbine generator off the coast of Ouessant in Brittany. Using the powerful Fromveur currents, this project is sponsored by the Sabella company in partnerships with Veolia Environnement, IFREMER and Bureau Veritas. The Sabella solution is characterised by an arrangement of turbines juxtaposed on the sea bed, with a minimal footprint.This concept combines simplicity, strength, increased reliability and good economic competitiveness. The ORCA underwater turbine generator: Proposed by ALSTOM and 13 other industrial and research entities, the ORCA project concerns the creation of a large-scale underwater turbine generator, designed for deeper sites (40 m and more) and with 1 MW of power. This underwater turbine generator will be tested in 20132014, at the French testing site at Paimpol-Bréhat in Brittany.The energy produced will be transported to the national grid. Sabella underwater turbine generator


In the framework of the “Investments for the future” programme, the “Marine Energies” call for declaration of interest, supervised by the ADEME, has allowed for the financing of innovative and collaborative industrial projects, which should help French industry address the needs of the marine energy market by 2015.

Rance tidal power station

Tidal power station over the River Rance (Brittany) Based on the principle of transforming tidal energy into electricity, the tidal power station over the River Rance in Brittany, commissioned in 1966, was the first of its kind in the world. With its installed power of 240 MW, the power station produces 550 GW/h per year and satisfies the needs of 222,000 inhabitants. Nearly 45 years after being commissioned, the tidal power station over the Rance, operated by EDF, is still a leading industrial and economic benchmark.

Sabella D10 – Sabella

Tidal energy exploits the potential energy of the tides due to the difference in levels between two bodies of water situated in two basins. Typically, the upper basin is filled at high tide and the lower basin is emptied at low tide. Ocean wave energy is based on the exploitation of waves and the swell generated by the interaction between winds and the surface of the sea. Ocean thermal energy involves using a temperature difference of at least 20°C between deep water and warm surface water to produce electricity; it can also be used to produce fresh water, cool air for air conditioning and by-products for aquaculture according to the type of process (open or closed cycle).

Paimpol-Bréhat underwater turbine generator farm – EDF After an initial machine test, the four underwater turbine generators at Paimpol-Bréhat, generating 2 MW of combined power, will be connected to the national grid in 2012, via a specially designed underwater converter. An initial test machine (turbine with diameter of 16 m for a weight of 700 tonnes) was installed on the site in 2011. EDF shall make its experience as the industrial architect and operator of the tidal power station over the River Rance available to the world’s first pre-industrial underwater turbine generator farm, created in consultation with all local stakeholders (fishermen, environmental protection associations, etc.). L’Arcouest underwater turbine generator – immersion operation off the island of Bréhat © Laurent Mignaux

Highly promising technologies Ocean current energy (hydrokinetics) refers to the exploitation of the kinetic energy of oceans set in motion by marine currents. It is exploited by underwater turbine generators which transform mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Beluga underwater turbine generator – Alstom Alstom is currently working at an advanced development stage on its first underwater turbine generator called Beluga 9, with a diameter of 13 m and power of 1 MW. Designed to be installed on sites situated at depths of 30 m or more, it has been tested at a smaller scale in the basins of the École Centrale college in Nantes. A full-size demonstrator will be built to start testing this new turbine in 2012.

© O. Diaz 2009 – Sabella



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Solar Energy PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY

Following this trend, France has soon become one of the main markets in the solar energy field. In December 2011, the connected facilities accounted for 2,643 MW of power, which was an increase of 55 % in relation to the end of 2010. France aims to achieve a target of 5.4 GW of installed power by 2020. Thanks to its long experience, the support of the public authorities and major investments in research, the French industry has become very efficient, especially in the area of integration into buildings. Around 150 industrial stakeholders of all sizes, from major groups to SMEs, are now active in this industry

which, according to the Renewable Energies Association (Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables) accounted for 24,000 jobs in 2010, including 6,700 in industrial production. Furthermore, the entire range of professions involved in the crystalline photovoltaic value chain continues to develop. The industrial production capacity for modules has thus significantly increased and focusing on thin-film technologies constitutes one of the key issues for the development of the industry in France.

Different systems Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV): There is considerable potential for installing photovoltaic panels on buildings, particularly on the roofs of collective housing, commercial and public buildings, etc. Instead of fitting solar collectors over the existing roof, they may also be integrated into the roof tiles themselves. Ground based solar farms: Photovoltaic panels are fixed at the optimum angle of exposure to the sun or are

VALUE CHAIN FOR THE PHOTOVOLTAIC SECTOR

Solar materials manufacturers

Cell manufacturers

Equipment manufacturers

Module manufacturers

Research centres

Inverter manufacturers

Electrical equipment manufacturer

Structural component manufacturers

DOWNSTREAM

Solar photovoltaic power station for the international market – Saint-Charles de Perpignan


Photovoltaic solar energy is currently developing extremely rapidly throughout the world. Since 1998, the number of photovoltaic solar installations worldwide has been increasing at a rate of 40 % per year. In 2010 the combined global installed capacity was estimated at 38 GW.

Solar trackers “Exotrack” by Exosun

Photovoltaic power station with solar trackers in Corsica – Exosun Exosun – a manufacturer of ground-based solar power stations and supplier of Exotrack solar trackers – is undertaking the construction of a photovoltaic power station generating 3.8 MWc of power. The chosen site is situated in the commune of Aghione in the département of Haute-Corse, and covers an area of 8.3 hectares. This plant will be equipped with 909 Exotrack single-shaft HZ units: the latest in the range of solar trackers designed by Exosun. The Exotrack units will be fitted with 11,817 monocrystalline modules. Work on the project began in September 2011 and should finish in the first quarter of 2012.

fitted to one or two motorised shafts in order to follow the path of the sun (solar tracker systems). In this way, the energy yield can be increased by nearly 30 %. Hybrid systems: Photovoltaic modules can be used in combination with other energy sources. These hybrid systems, generally connected to batteries, significantly increase the producer’s selfsufficiency in isolated areas. A photovoltaic system does not necessarily need to be connected to an electricity grid. It is therefore a very attractive option for rural electrification, especially in developing countries in which connection to the electricity grid is impossible or not economically viable.


Technologies making their mark Photovoltaic energy is based on the conversion of solar radiation into electrical energy. It is mainly obtained via two types of cells: crystalline silicon and thin-film cells. Crystalline silicon cells consist of thin sheets of silicon – a highly abundant element extracted from sand or quartz. These cells are efficient (solar yield of 14 to 16 % for polycrystalline and 16 to 19 % for monocrystalline). They represent 80 to 90 % of the global market. Thin-film cells are obtained by depositing one or more photosensitive, semiconducting layers onto a substrate of glass, plastic, steel, etc. While the manufacturing cost is lower, thin-film cells are, for now, less efficient than crystalline silicon cells (5 to 13 %). There are three main thin-film technologies: thin-film cadmium telluride modules, CIGS cells (copper, indium, gallium and selenide), which are currently being developed and promoted by certain French stakeholders (Saint Gobain and Nexcis) and amorphous silicon, on which several French start-up companies are currently working.

PV 20 project: developing a high-efficiency photovoltaic segment – MPO Energy MPO Energy, a leading manufacturer of optical disks for over 50 years, is diversifying into the production of photovoltaic cells. The aim of the PV 20 project is to develop equipment and processes to manufacture solar cells with 20 % efficiency based on crystalline silicon. Coordinated by MPO Energy, the project brings together the main industrial stakeholders from the French photovoltaic industry and the research field: MPO Energy, INES-CEA (French National Solar Energy Institute), EMIX (manufacturer of silicon ingots), TENESOL (manufacturer of modules) and SEMCO (equipment manufacturer). This consortium has received financial support from OSEO-ISI. MPO Energy is currently putting the innovations from PV 20 into practice by developing a production capacity of 2 x 70 MWc. MPO Energy will then optimise the production costs in order to start achieving grid parity in France by 2016.The MPO Group’s assets in bringing about this industrial change are its manufacturing excellence, mass production and innovation culture. The first cells are already on the market.

PV solar panel production line – Sillia Énergie


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© Exosun


© Arnaud Bouissou –MEDDTL


Solar panels at the Pas de Peyrol mountain pass

Building integrated systems: a French speciality France possesses highly developed expertise in the integration of photovoltaic technology into buildings and has made this a national priority. The building integration criteria in the country

Photovoltaic plant at Orange-les-Vignes (Aerowatt-ARTELIA) Bouyges Immobilier – developer of the “Orange les Vignes” Business Park, has chosen Aérowatt to install and operate 12,000 photovoltaic modules integrated into buildings (total power of 2.2 MW). The ARTELIA independent engineering group has been appointed as project manager for the design and execution. This is currently the largest buildingintegrated project in Europe for a public-access establishment.

have been strengthened so that photovoltaic solutions are becoming an integrated part of roofs and not just an unattractive afterthought. The French market contains a large number of products incorporating the combined functions of electricity production and the waterproofing of roofs and facades. For example, the Photowatt, Luxol, SORA and Saint Gobain companies all produce photovoltaic tiles. Urbasolar specialises in photovoltaic waterproofing membranes. Photon Power produces solar sheets and an integration system for atrium windows. Kawneer and APEX BP SOLAR have developed a photovoltaic solution that satisfies needs for protection against adverse weather and shade. Midisolaire has developed a building integration system for agricultural and industrial buildings, which is capable of generating ventilation effects underneath the modules. Clipsol manufactures complete generators which are mainly integrated into roofs (capacity of 50,000 m²/ year). Tenesol develops special products designed for integration into

buildings, in partnership with innovative manufacturers in the construction industry, e.g.“TE Lumex Design”, bi-glass modules providing a made-to-measure response for architectural projects. Significant R&D efforts The photovoltaic sector is currently undertaking numerous research projects whose aims include improving the efficiency of the technologies. These works are relying on the expertise of several research institutes such as INES/CEA and IRDEP, and also on competitive clusters specialising in renewable energies. Over half of the French budget for research into renewable energies is concentrated in this sector. It should also be noted that several highly innovative start-up companies are working on the development of new solutions: Apollon Solar is working on projects involving silicon, photovoltaic modules and systems, Nexcis and Solsia are concentrating on thinfilm PV, while SolarForce is developing a technology featuring thin strips of silicon for flexible modules, etc.

Saint-Clar solar power station – Solarezo

IRDEP – Photovoltaic Energy Research and Development Institute IRDEP, founded by EDF, the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) and ENSCP (National Chemical Engineering Institute in Paris) is responsible for developing low-cost production systems in order to contribute to the rapid expansion of the photovoltaic industry and increase its share in the energy mix. The research carried out at IRDEP concentrates on two major areas: thinfilm solar cells based on CIS material (Copper-Indium-Selenium), prepared by electrochemistry (CISEL project) and very high-efficiency solar cells (PVTHR project).


CEA – Atomic energy and Alternative Energies Commission This public institution carries out research into different renewable energies such as hydrogen, fuel cells, solar energy and biomass. It works in close collaboration with INES in the framework of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy.The CEA is also associated with IFP – Énergies nouvelles in its research into lignocellulose as a source of biofuels. Within the CEA, the Innovation Laboratory for New Energy Technologies and Nanomate-

Saint-Clar solar power station – Solarezo Solarezo designs, produces, installs and maintains energy solutions using solar technologies and the biomass. Supplied by Solarezo and covering 23 ha, the St-Clar solar power station in the Gers département of France produces 9 MWc of power and exploits land of little agricultural value. This is an exemplary project on the environmental level, preserving the entire topography and incorporating nine “biodiversity enclosures” which allow wildlife to cross the installation, and a landscape hedge (with 21 plant species). Soil maintenance is carried out by the sheep belonging to an organic farmer in the St-Clar district. Finally, the module structures are attached by removable screws, thus avoiding the need for concreting. Base stations powered by solar energy in Africa – Tenesol Tenesol, a subsidiary of TOTAL, designs, manufactures, installs and manages production and consumption systems for energy of solar origin for its customers worldwide (on isolated sites for water pumping, rural electrification, oil & gas and telecoms, or for direct connection to the electricity grid). Especially involved in the development of photovoltaic solutions for telecoms, Tenesol has developed a system of solar photovoltaic base stations linked to telecommunications aerials.This innovative solution suitable for rural areas reduces operating costs, improves the quality of services and reduces CO2 emissions. Today, more than 900 telecoms stations in 13 African countries have been equipped with photovoltaic energy systems.

rials (Laboratoire d’Innovation pour les Technologies des Énergies Nouvelles et les nano matériaux – LITEN) is one of the main European centres for research into new technologies and energy.

INES National Solar Energy Institute Created in 2006, the INES is dedicated to research, innovation and training concerning solar energy. In particular, the Institute has developed an Industrial Innovation Research & Development platform that aims to reduce the costs and increase the performance of photovoltaic systems for buildings. INES is also developing modelling tools and establishing sustainable partnerships with manufacturers. To consult the directory of French manufacturers and suppliers of the photovoltaic industry, visit: www.enr.fr/‘Nos annuaires’/‘Filière photovoltaïque’

Solar panels on a green roof French know-how in the field of renewable energies

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© E. Grimault



THERMAL SOLAR ENERGY: MANY APPLICATIONS FOR HEATING AND DOMESTIC HOT WATER

To support this dynamic, the French authorities have created measures including the “Renewable Heat Fund” (Fonds Chaleur Renouvelable). Implemented by the ADEME, this incentive scheme finances heat production projects based on renewable energies in collective accommodation, for local authorities and companies. To accelerate the widespread development of collective solar-heated hot water systems, ENERPLAN (professional association for solar energy) has

launched the “So Col” initiative. This collaborative platform brings together all of the professions involved (manufacturers, design offices, installers and operators). It focuses on the technical, financial and legal aspects of the industry and on training and communication. Thanks to this project accelerator, ENERPLAN has seen the collective solar energy market increase from 57,000 m² installed in 2008 to 79,000 m² in 2010. The target is to achieve 600,000 m² by 2015 and 745,000 m² by 2020.

Temperature probe 9 Solar collector 1

Domestic hot water

2 Primary circuit

Backup boiler 4

11 Regulator 8

Technologies with rapidly increasing efficiency Solar thermal energy is based on the use of collectors which convert solar radiation into usable heat. Several types of collectors are currently used: 1. glazed flat-plate collectors are some of the most widespread collectors. Heat transfer fluid – very often water mixed with a food-grade antifreeze agent – passes through a coil fixed under an absorbent sheet, with the entire unit behind a sheet of glass,

10 7 Circulation pump Solar water heater featuring separate elements with backup heating system

12

3

5 Storage tank

6 Cold water inlet

Operation of a solar water heater

© Tecsol

Between 1999 and 2006, thermal solar energy increased by 20 % per year worldwide. France has acquired renowned expertise in this sector. At the end of 2009, there were nearly 2 million m² of panels in France, producing 1,396 MWth of power. Thermal solar energy is growing at a fast rate, both for private homes and collective accommodation. The tertiary and industrial sectors also have great development potential.

in a casing insulated with mineral wool or composite polyurethane foam. 2. Evacuated tubes collectors take the form of panels or ramps consisting of transparent glass tubes of 5 to 15 cm in diameter.Their design allows for significant reductions in heat loss due to the air. Consequently, they are more efficient than glazed flat-plate collectors. 3. Unglazed collectors consist of noninsulated black plastic tubes, often arranged back-to-back. Very efficient in summer and at low temperature, these collectors can produce heat at temperatures close to the ambient air temperature. 4.Air collectors are capable of increasing the air temperature by 5 to 10°C. They are often used directly for the heating or drying of agricultural products.

Collective “individualised” solar water heater in Perpignan – TECSOL


Solar thermal installation, La Réunion – Giordano (collectors) – Lacaze (tanks)

For private individuals and collective / tertiary buildings Individual solar water heaters (chauffe-eau solaires individuels – CESI), that have been developed for some years, can provide approximately 50 % of the domestic hot water needs in metropolitan France and 80 % in the French Overseas Départements and Collectivities. Over 32,000 solar water heaters were installed in France in 2010. Furthermore, numerous project owners are now choosing solar energy for producing domestic hot water in residential buildings. For an efficient and profitable system, the hot water needs must be consistent and spread out throughout the entire year including during summer – the season in which the system is most productive. Therefore, this system is especially suited to hotels, hospitals and retirement homes. Solar heating or combined solar systems on average provide 25 to 60 % of household heating needs, via a lowtemperature emitter. The system also produces domestic hot water. In France, 1 m² of sensors can heat 6 to 10 m² of accommodation.

SCHEFF project for a lower cost “individualised” collective solar water heater – TECSOL/Viessmann In Perpignan, the High-Efficiency Collective Solar (Solaire Collectif Haute eFFicacité – SCHEFF) project, led by TECSOL, has led to a pilot operation being carried out by URBAT on the roof of the “Jardins d’Espagne” block of 53 apartments. Objective:To design a reliable, low-cost “individualised” collective solar water heater (CESCI) for new buildings. This project consists of 33 Vitosol collectors, manufactured by Viessmann, covering a surface area of 76 m². Production is expected to amount to over 45,000 kWh per year, saving 5.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Each apartment is equipped with a domestic hot water storage tank. This system thus simplifies the management of water and allows for the fair allocation of charges according to the consumption of each household.

ding collectors. Viessmann is the leading French manufacturer of solar collectors. Clipsol (GDF – Suez Group) has been designing, manufacturing and distributing its solar products for nearly 30 years. Heliopac offers a system combining a low-temperature solar thermal collector and a heat pump, as is Giordano, with its Solarpump system that equips one of the

first Smart Grids in France, in the commune of Lambesc (“Premio” project conducted in partnership with the ADEME and the Capenergies Competitive Cluster). Sophia Antipolis Energie Développement (SAED) offers fields of industrial-size evacuated tube collectors intended for highpower thermal applications (several thermal MW).

© Giordano

© Viessmann

A dynamic French offering Numerous French companies are manufacturing complete systems, inclu-

Solar thermal energy for the agri-foods industry on Reunion Island – Giordano The Sicabat company currently owns the biggest solar thermal power station on Reunion Island. It has increased the production of hot water required for the company’s industrial processes. Created by Giordano with financial support from the region and the ADEME, the plant has prevented the emission of 109 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere and saved over 40,000 litres of fuel oil per year (a 30 % reduction). The return on investment time after subsidies was five years.

Solar Pump Giordano

Vitosol collectors – Viessmann


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SOLAR THERMODYNAMIC ENERGY VAST POTENTIAL IN THE SUNNIEST COUNTRIES In a solar thermodynamic plant (also known as a CSP [Concentrating Solar Power] plant), the solar radiation collected by mirrors is concentrated in order to heat up a heat transfer fluid.

The following four main processes are currently used: 1. Rows of parabolic trough (the most widely developed technology), which concentrate heat from the sun onto a tube (called a receiver) within which a fluid circulates;

In particular, these technologies could satisfy the aims of the Mediterranean Solar Plan. This European project, launched by France, aims to create an additional 20 GW of renewable electricity production by 2020

point focus Concentration ponctuelle

linear concentration Concentration linéaire

Central receiver Centrales à tour

Linear Fresnel reflector (IFR) Collecteurs Fresnel linéaires récepteur receiver

Mobile Mobiles

Fresnel mirror solar power station La Seyne-Sur-Mer – CNIM

There is also a technological variant that uses Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC), which can use low-temperature heat to generate electricity and in this way, it is even possible to dispense with concentration.

This technology has great potential in countries where the direct sunshine exceeds 1,900 kWh/m² (i.e. certain parts of southern Europe, North Africa, Central and Eastern Asia, Oceania, North and South America and Southern Africa). According to the International Energy Agency, CSP technology could account for over 10 % of global electricity production by 2050.

héliostats heliostats

Parabolic collectors or dish Collecteurs paraboliques

mirrors miroirs

receiver récepteur

Parabollic Trough Collecteurs cylindro-paraboliques

Fixes Fixed

© CNIM

Through a thermodynamic cycle (gas, steam or combined cycle turbines), this steam is then transformed into electrical energy. If necessary, the residual heat from the electricity production cycle can be used to desalinate seawater or produce cool air.

2. Linear Fresnel reflectors: flat mirrors which concentrate the heat on a tube; 3. Heliostats: mirrors that concentrate solar radiation at the top of a tower (central receiver); 4. Parabolic dish: cupola-type structures which operate autonomously and produce electricity thanks to an externallypowered Stirling-type motor at their focal point.

reflector receiver / absorber r récepteur/absorbeu

récepteur Receiver/engine

mirror receiver Source: AIE-SER Source : AIE-SER

© Solar Euromed


Alba Nova1 power station in Corsica – Solar Euromed

Fresnel mirror solar power station CNIM and CNRS-PROMES, engineering designers such as Sogreah-Groupe Artelia, in addition to several major French groups which are global leaders in the energy field: Alstom (through its interest in BrightSource), Areva (through the acquisition of Ausra), EDF, GDF SUEZ, Schneider Electric and Total (which is participating in the construction of a plant at Masdar).

© AREVA

in the southern Mediterranean shore countries concerned. Numerous French manufacturing stakeholders are present in this sector: CNIM and its subsidiary Bertin Technologies, small and medium-sized enterprises such as Enertime, Exosun (solar trackers), SAED, Solar Euromed, component manufacturers such as Saint Gobain (mirrors), HEF (high-temperature coatings), ARKEMA (manufacturer of thermodynamic fluids), research laboratories including CEA/Liten (INES)

CNIM – the designer and manufacturer of the Thémis solar boiler in the 1980s – has decided to develop a new technology: concentrating solar power stations incorporating “Fresnel mirrors”.

Active throughout the value chain, these manufacturers are showing their ability to innovate and develop new concepts and technological building blocks.

Specialising in engineering, steam generation, thermodynamic cycles and turnkey solutions, this French group has designed and manufactured a pilot concentration solar power module using this technology at La Seyne-Sur-Mer in the south of France.

To consult the directory of the French solar thermodynamic industry: www.enr.fr/‘Nos annuaires’/‘Filière solaire thermodynamique’

This pilot project, which received a support from OSEO, was inaugurated on 26 July 2010 in the presence of the French Minister for Industry. Since then, the group has been developing several demonstration plant projects on a larger scale in France and North Africa.

Kimberlina solar power station in the United States installed by AREVA Solar – Bakersfield (California)

KEY ELEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING SOLAR HEAT INTO ELECTRICITY BY THERMODYNAMIC MEANS Sun/heat yield

Heat/electricity yield

1. Collection of solar radiation

Solar radiation

Collector

Concentrator

2. Heat production

3. Heat and/or electricity production

Receiver Low-temperature heat

Heat

Conversion

Electricity

High-temperature heat

Heat storage

Source: ADEME


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Cutting-edge French R&D France was one of the pioneers in solar thermal energy with the Thémis programme launched in the 1980s. Solar CSP is one of the French priorities for research and demonstration of

renewable energies, especially via the “Investments for the Future”, programme managed by the ADEME, which finances the development of demonstration projects in this sector, for example.

ORC EN CIEL: 300 kW organic Rankine cycle solar thermodynamic power station project The aim of the 300 kW ORC EN CIEL power station project is to develop a turnkey offering for solar thermodynamic or hybrid solar / biomass power stations producing electricity (several MW) through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). Such power stations will be capable of replacing diesel engine power stations in regions and islands that are sparsely connected, or not connected to electricity grids.This project is supervised by Enertime, in collaboration with Exosun, the CNRS PROMES laboratory, the HEF company and the operator Energie du Sud. MICST: a solar thermodynamic micro-power station project Managed by Schneider Electric, in collaboration with 11 French partners and with the support of the ADEME, the MiCST project aims to develop a solar thermodynamic micro-power station that is easy to install and maintain and can be adapted to any site that is not connected to the electricity grid. Solar radiation will be used to heat a reserve of thermal energy supplying a thermodynamic machine linked to a 10 kW alternator, dimensioned to supply power to isolated villages. The Alba Nova 1 power station in Corsica – Solar Euromed is focusing on the international deployment of its Fresnel technology Solar Euromed, a pioneering company in concentrated solar thermodynamic technology, is managing an ambitious technological innovation programme based on optimising the performance of solar collection systems and developing new systems (such as Fresnel linear reflectors, direct steam generation towers and thermal storage systems). The first stage of this programme has led to the installation of the Augustin Fresnel pilot plant on the Thémis platform in the Pyrénéees Orientales département of France. The development of this stage is continuing in Corsica, where Solar Euromed is developing a 12 MW CSP power station named ALBA NOVA 1. This plant will demonstrate the performance of its proprietary technology on an industrial scale, based on direct steam generation with integral thermal storage.

Thémis plant and the PEGASE project Inaugurated in 1983, the Thémis power station was one of the world’s first solar thermodynamic power stations. The technology used consisted of a gas turbine with solar hybridisation. Situated in the Pyrénées-Orientales (SouthWestern France), the Thémis site, which benefits from an exceptional amount of direct sunshine for Europe, has now become a collaborative platform for numerous solar R&D and demonstration projects. The platform currently hosts the PEGASE (Production d'Électricité par turbine à GAz et énergie SolairE – Electricity Generation by GAs Turbine and Solar Energy) project, which aims to bring the solar power station back into service. The project associates CNRS-PROMES, the CEA, Conseil Général des Pyrénées-Orientales, Conseil Régional du LanguedocRoussillon, University of Perpignan, ADEME, Total, EDF, CNIM, Saint Gobain and GE.

Concentrated solar photovoltaic system – SOITEC

Heliotrop and the HCPV® industry Heliotrop is a French manufacturer which designs and markets high-concentrated “1024 suns” (patented technology) solar photovoltaic units, which multiply the sun’s light by 1,024.

CONCENTRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY: A NEW ANS PROMISING TECHNOLOGY © Heliotrop

Concentrated photovoltaic (or CPV) technology is currently the subject of numerous research and development projects in France. It consists of concentrating solar radiation onto very high-efficiency semi-conducting cells using parabolic mirrors or Fresnel lenses.To optimise their collection of the sun’s rays, CPV modules must be precisely directed at the sun by solar tracker systems, which significantly increase the efficiency. A cooling system also helps to maintain the temperature of the cells.

An industry based on Heliotrop Concentrated PhotoVoltaics (HCPV) is being developed in France with French manufacturers situated in Greater Western France (Exosun, GMD and Eolane), in addition to the CEALITEN/INES institute.

CPV solar unit – Heliotrop

This promising technology requires a large amount of sunshine and is ideally suited to regions with direct solar radiation exposure exceeding 2,000 kWh/m2/year. This technology has numerous advantages: CPV technology currently offers approximately twice the yield of a sili-

These ground-mounted power stations (from 1 to over 100 MW) are ideally suited to areas with a high level of direct sunshine: South of France, Mediterranean countries, Sunbelt countries, etc.

con photovoltaic module; it reduces the active photovoltaic conversion surface area (using a much smaller surface area of semiconductors), and it limits the footprint of installations, which may thus be compatible with certain agricultural uses of the land, etc.

CPV high-concentration technology can reduce the costs of solar energy, quickly producing a kWh price that is competitive in relation to other energy sources. Several units have been established by the company: in Cadarache in France and also in Morocco and Portugal for demonstration purposes.

Projects for CPV power stations in the USA – Soitec In the concentrated solar photovoltaic (CPV) sector, Soitec offers high-efficiency systems based on Concentrix™ technology, in addition to projects and services that include development aid, project financing, operation and maintenance.

In the spring of 2011, the company signed 5 new contracts for the provision of systems with a total capacity of 305 MW in the San Diego region of the United States. Constructed between 2013 and 2015, these plants will be capable of supplying electricity to approximately 115,000 households.

© Soitec

These CPV systems, which have already been installed by Soitec in 14 countries, offer numerous advantages: they require no cooling water, benefit from an energy payback of less than 9 months, provide constant energy production throughout the day and have a small environmental footprint. Finally, the Concentrix technology offers the best electricity cost in areas with high sunshine levels and energy efficiency of nearly 30%, which is the best on the market.

Concentrated solar photovoltaic system SOITEC


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© Soitec




Bioenergies

Biomass boiler plant in Cergy-Pontoise

Bioenergies result from the exploitation of plant and animal substances for heating, electricity production (generally by cogeneration) and transportation (biofuels). There are many sources of biomass: agriculture (livestock wastes and effluents), exploitation of forests, marine and aquatic environments (seaweed), residues from industry and human activities (agri-foods and paper industries, etc.), by-products generated by the transformation of wood, organic wastes from wastewater treatment plants, etc.

PRODUCTION OF HEAT FROM BIOMASS Used as a fuel for the production of heat or electricity, biomass has numerous advantages: neutral greenhouse gas emission balance, easily accessible and varied sources, etc. Biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in France, accounting for 46 % of renewable energy production (heat, electricity and fuel). It also provides 71 % of renewable heat production. In order to maximise the exploitation of the French bioenergy potential, incentive schemes have been created by the Grenelle Environmental round table, which provides for: • A 90 % increase in the amount of biofuel used by the industry between 2006 and 2020, • A 50 % increase in the number of one-family dwellings heated by wood by 2020 (9 million households equipped, compared to 6 million today), • A five-fold increase in the production of collective/industrial heat and bioelectricity by 2020. Furthermore, the development of better quality fuels and technical advances have reduced emissions from residential wood burning by nearly 55 %, thanks to new-generation wood heating appliances.

Domestic wood energy industry In the domestic sector, wood is used as a fuel for independent appliances (wood-burning stoves, inserts and cookers) or wood-fired boilers (using wood pellets, logs or briquettes). The French domestic wood heating industry is one of the most dynamic in Europe: approximately 500,000 appliances are sold each year in France and 74 % of these appliances are French-made. In addition, French manufacturers are very active on the export market (20 % of their turnover). To this end, they have launched a promotional drive for exported French appliances named “French Fire”. The dynamism of French manufacturers is mainly due to their expertise in the cast iron products sector. In this way, alongside the manufacturers of appliances (Brisach, Cheminées Philippe, Godin, Invicta, Supra, Cheminées de Chazelles, etc.), the manufacture of domestic wood-fired heating appliances allows a certain number of French foundries to supply the national and export markets (La Fonte Ardennaise, Fonderie de Niederbronn – a subsidiary of De Dietrich and Pebeco). Several major manufacturers

DOMESTIC WOOD ENERGY INDUSTRY Source: aDeME/Ser

total Wood-burning inserts and fireplaces Wood-burning stoves boilers cookers

400 000

300 000

200 000

100 000

1984

1989

1994

1999

2004

2009*

The collective and industrial sector In the collective residential heating, heating networks and industrial uses sector (especially in the agri-foods industry) the most commonly used wood fuel is “wood chips”, i.e. shredded wood. Wastes from paper mills, “bagasse” fibrous sugar cane residue, wastes from local authorities (household wastes), fruit stones and biogas from the fermentation or gasification of wastes can also be used as fuels for the production of electricity, heat or fuel. France has extensive experience in the collective and tertiary heating field, with over 2,600 references (towns, districts, schools, swimming pools, hospitals, etc.). Companies such as Veolia/Dalkia and GDF SUEZ/ Cofely possess acknowledged expertise in the exploitation of renewable collective heat plants, using biomass in particular.

Biomass heating networks at Lódz and Poznan – Dalkia In Poland, the Lódz and Poznan networks serve 700,000 inhabitants and are powered by cogeneration plants combining biomass with coal in a co-firing process. Two of their boilers are currently being renovated to use biomass exclusively: 700,000 tonnes, 80 % of which will originate from forestry. This project – the biggest carried out by Dalkia in this field – will prevent the emission of 460,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and will increase the share of renewable energy recovered by these networks to 18 %, producing 67 MW for green electricity power. Heating networks powered by biomass hybridised with solar thermal energy (Cofely – SAED) Cofely – a subsidiary of GDF SUEZ – has designed two heating networks, for the eco-district of Vidailhan in Balma, in the Toulouse conurbation and for the Les Constellations district in Juvignac, in the Montpellier conurbation. These networks will be powered by an energy mix combining energy from wood with a field of high-performance solar collectors. Created by Sophia Antipolis Energie Développement (SAED), the solar fields will cover 10 to 15 % of the annual energy needs of the installations.

© Laurent Mignaux - MEDDTL

gravitate directly around the manufacturing of domestic wood-fired heating appliances, such as Poujoulat – the European leader in chimney pipes – and Eurokera, a subsidiary of SaintGobain and the global leader in vitroceramic products.

Examples of projects Biomass for two Michelin factories In 2010, MICHELIN – the motor vehicle equipment manufacturer and world leader in tyres – commissioned biomass boiler plants on two of its production sites in France (Cholet and Bourges).The Cholet boiler house (10 MW), for example, will be capable of producing 4,345 TOE/year, covering a proportion of the site’s annual steam requirements. Operated by Cofely (GDF SUEZ Group), the installations were supplied by WEISS and COMPTE-R, manufacturers of medium and high-power biomass boiler plants.

© Roland Bourget - ADEME


To consult the directory of French industrial stakeholders in the domestic wood-fired heating sector, visit: www.enr.fr/‘Nos annuaires’/ ‘Filière bois domestique’

Varennes methanisation plant – Jarcy French know-how in the field of renewable energies

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PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY FROM BIOMASS: COGENERATION AND RECOVERY OF BIOGAZ Production of electricity by cogeneration 65 % of the energy produced worldwide is lost in the form of heat due to a lack of energy efficiency. Cogeneration is a technology involving the production of two usable secondary energies from one combustible primary energy source (in this case, biomass): one energy is electrical and the other is thermal. As the energy yield of electricity production is low using current technologies (30-35 %), cogeneration allows for the recovery of thermal energy and the achievement of a high level of energy yield (80-85 %).

Agricultural wastes Crop residues

Urban wastes

Agricultural effluents

“Solid” household wastes

Industrial wastes

Urban effluents

“Solid” industrial wastes

Industrial effluents

spreading Incinerator Urban or industrial sewage treatment plant

Landfill

Methanisation unit

Methanisation unit flare spreading BIOGAS

Electricity and/or heat

BIOGAS PRODUCTION PROCESSES

Gas fuel Injection into the gas network

Source: French Ministry of Ecology (Ministère de l’Écologie)

Examples of projects KOGEBAN combined heat and power plant at NESLE – CNIM KOGEBAN – a subsidiary of NEREA – has developed a combined heat and power plant based on 225,000 T of biomass per year (664 GWh), situated at Nesle (Northern France), which will produce 16MW on the power grid, in addition to 258 GWh at the AJINOMOTO factory in the form of steam (17 and 7 bar) and hot water, and 100 GWh at the SYRAL factory in the form of steam at 7 bar and softened water. CNIM is the manufacturer, operator and joint investor.

© photothèque Cofely

Development of a Rankine micro-plant – Exoès The Exoès company is currently developing a micro-cogeneration system that uses a renewable heat source.The patented “SHAPE” (Sustainable Heat and Power Engine) system converts the calories derived from a heat source into electricity and heat with a global efficiency of 90%. The first product of this application is a SHAPE producing 3 kW electrically and 15 kW thermally, installed in small collective housing units. Especially suited to the low-power conversion of energy derived from biomass, the SHAPE module also converts any type of heat source with a temperature exceeding 200°C into electricity. Therefore, it is especially suitable for solar concentration, industrial flue gases, transportation (exhaust pipes), etc. Biomass cogeneration in the Grand-Couronne biofuel factory – Cofely/Sofiprotéol Designed by Cofely for Saipol and Diester Industrie – subsidiaries of the Sofiprotéol Group – this biomass plant producing 9 MW of electrical power converts 150,000 tonnes of wood per year. It is capable of covering 62% of the steam requirements for the Saipol – Diester Industry Grand-Couronne site: a colza-based diester manufacturing plant whose processes are energy intensive. The electricity produced is added to the grid.

Grand-Couronne plant – Cofely – Saipol

Tiper project – Methaneo

Methanisation and biogas Methanisation is an anaerobic reaction (in the absence of oxygen) obtained from fermentable waste (vegetal or animal wastes). This reaction produces a “biogas” whose energy properties are determined by its methane content. Biogas consists of 50 to 70 % methane (CH4), depending on the quality of the resources used and the technical characteristics of the installation. The potential for methane production is highly variable according to the organic matter (plant or animal) used. There are 3 main sources of biogas in France: non-hazardous waste storage centres; urban sewage, industrial or agri-industrial sludge; agricultural and household wastes. Agricultural methanisation is developing rapidly in France, with a large energy production potential based on livestock rearing effluents and harvest or crop residues. To support this growth, in May 2011, the French State increased the feed-in tariff for electricity produced from methanisationderived biogas. Although biogas only represents 1.4 % of the renewable energies consumed in France, research is being conducted into new recovery processes. A support scheme for the addition of biomethane (purified biogas) into the French gas network was also established in 2011. The production of vehicle fuel is also a promising pathway. In the framework of the Grenelle Environmental round table, there are plans to multiply electricity production from biogas by four in ten years, for an installed power of 625 MWe by 2020 and to increase thermal production from 55 to 555 kTOE.

Tiper project – Methaneo In 2005, the Tiper project was launched by the Thouarsais communauté de communes (Combined District Council). After a favourable feasibility study, the ABBT association was created in 2007 to bring farmers and agri-foods industries together in a single structure. Named “Tiper Methanisation”, this project has been developed since 2008 by the Methaneo company, which specialises in the development and financing of collective territorial and agricultural methanisation units. The 2 MW unit, which is scheduled to begin operating at the start of 2013, will process 80,000 T of biomass, mainly livestock rearing effluents and by-products of the agri-foods industry. This unit will be capable of producing approximately 16,000,000 KWh of electrical power and 8,000,000 KWh in the form of steam, distributed to an agricultural cooperative. All digestate will be returned to the farmers who are members of the project. €14 M of investment will be required and will lead to the creation of around ten direct and indirect jobs. Methanisation for the benefit of urban transport systems Lille metropolitan /Sequedin Commissioned in 2007, the Lille Métropole organic recovery centre, situated at Sequedin, consists of a household waste transfer centre and a fermentable waste recovery centre/biomethanisation plant, which, in addition to producing compost, can also recover fermentation gases (biogas), by leaving the wastes to decompose in an enclosed chamber deprived of oxygen (the digester). This anaerobic process produces a sludge-type liquid element (digestate), which is mixed with a structuring agent consisting of shredded green waste, to become compost and a gaseous element (biogas). The crude biogas recovered can then be converted, via a purification process, into a renewable energy: biomethane, of a quality equivalent to natural gas. This biomethane is currently added to the natural gas distribution network. As the bus depot is situated opposite the production unit and is itself connected to the distribution network, a large proportion of this biomethane is in fact consumed by the buses.The go-ahead for this project was given in 2003 and implemented by Lille Metropolitan Urban Community (Lille Métropole Communauté Urbaine) in the framework of a performance-based invitation to tender. CAPIK project – Seine-Maritime (France) – Naskeo Naskeo is an independent French company specialising in the design and construction of biogas installations. These installations allow for the conversion of agricultural or industrial wastes into biogas fuel through anaerobic biological digestion. The company is working in partnership with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique – INRA: www.inra.fr). With INRA, Naskeo has developed specific technologies allowing for the recovery of fertilisers after biogas production and the combination of microalgae cultivation and methanisation. For example, the CAPIK methanisation unit in Seine-Maritime (France) transforms 20,000 tonnes of organic wastes per year and generates power of 500 kW, which equates to the consumption of 2,000 households.The process also allows for the production of 2,000 tonnes of solid and liquid biofertilisers per year, which are sold to local farmers.


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© Methaneo



PRODUCTION OF BIOFUELS FROM BIOMASS

© Maguin

First-generation biofuels First-generation biofuels, produced from biomass, are divided into two segments: 1. Biodiesel (intended for diesel engines), produced from colza, sunflower, soya or palm oil, 2. Bioethanol (petrol engines), derived from the fermentation of cereals, beet and sugar cane.

Cassava distillation unit in Thailand (TAE 1) – Maguin

Production of ethanol from cassava in Thailand – Maguin Maguin – a key player in the production of bioethanol and alcohols, with the “Interis” alcohol technology – specialises in the processing of vegetable matter such as beet, sugar cane and cereals, in addition to sugar or cereal sorghum and cassava, described as “new raw materials”. At world level, Maguin proposes the creation of alcohol units based on the “Turn-Key Process” concept. For example, in 2011, the company handed over a turn-key cassava distillation unit with a capacity of 200 m³/d of fuel to TAE Co. in Thailand.

Thanks to its proactive policy in these sectors, France is currently the European leader in first-generation biofuels. Biofuels are being developed in order to offer an alternative to fuels of fossil origin.They are divided into esters and oils, on the one hand, and ethanol and ethers on the other. Esters and oils are used as “additives” and supplement diesel fuel or heating fuel. With 21 industrial esterification units, France has extensive experience in this process. Ethanol and ethers are used as oxygenated additives in the formulation of unleaded petrol. These fuels, derived from beet or wheat, are produced in 20 industrial bioethanol units and 4 industrial ETBE (Ethyl-Tertio-ButylEther) industrial processing units. Numerous French companies are leaders in this sector: Diester Industrie and Saipol for biodiesel production and Téréos and Cristal Union for ethanol. The current use of biofuels in France amounts to an annual consumption of approximately 2.6 million tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE). From 2011, in the framework of a European directive, only biofuels that conform to certain durability criteria can be taken into account and benefit from support schemes. Advanced biofuels Research is being carried out into secondgeneration processes to improve the durability of biofuels.The objective is to

be able to transform every part of the plant tissue into biofuels, from a wide range of agricultural and forestry resources, or from waste and residues from these business sectors, from dedicated crops and organic wastes. There are two types of production technologies for these “advanced” biofuels: • Production by thermo-chemical conversion, consisting of gasifying the biomass, then purifying the synthetic gas thus produced and converting it into liquid fuels (of diesel or jet fuel type) via catalytic processes; • Production by biochemical conversion, which consists of processing the biomass by an enzymatic process and then performing ethanolic fermentation. Advanced biofuels will use resources other than food crops and will limit the competition between uses. Numerous demonstration operations are currently underway in France.The purpose is to develop pilot projects in preparation for production at the industrial level. Research is currently being carried out into other processes to create fuels from microalgae or micro-organisms capable of producing large amounts of biomass or oils that can be converted into biodiesel, with improved energy and environmental balances. The first industrial applications could be seen within 10 years.

Deinol project (Tereos – Deinove) The agri-industrial group Tereos specialises in the production of bioethanol from beet, sugar cane and cereals.The 18 units established in Europe and Brazil produce 1.8 million m3 of ethanol alcohol per year. Furthermore, the group is associated with the Deinove company in a research partnership that aims to produce bioethanol industrially from the fermentation of feed grain by 2014. This partnership forms part of the Deinol project, which aims to pioneer the production of lignocellulosic ethanol (2nd generation) in existing industrial installations.

Tereos ethanol production plant near Rouen

Numerous R&D and demonstration projects The French National Programme for Research into Bioenergies (PNRB) Financed by the National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche – ANR) and implemented by the ADEME, the PNRB concentrates on the recovery of energy from biomass. It finances projects including the development of the industrial conversion of lignocellulose, and also the production of hydrogen and lipids by micro-organisms. Research is also being carried out into the socio-economic impacts of these eco-technologies.

Safeoil project to develop a biofuel based on microalgae Pôle Mer Bretagne Conducted in Brittany, the Safeoil project concerns the production of 3rd generation biofuels. Safeoil is aiming to develop an industrial pilot unit for the production of biodiesel from marine microalgae. Produced in exterior basins in former kaolin quarries, these algae contain very high concentrations of oil (up to 35 % of their dry mass) and do not require the use of agricultural land or food-grade raw materials.The research carried out covers the entire production and value chain. In total, the 12 basins developed (with a surface area of 50 ha) could produce up to 14,200 l/ha of biodiesel per year. Accredited by the “Mer Bretagne” competitive cluster, this project brings together manufacturers (Veolia, Imerys ceramics France, Sodaf Géo Étanchéité) and IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea). Safeoil project – kaolin quarry

FUTUROL project: producing lignocellulosic alcohol by biochemical conversion FUTUROL is seeking to market a process, technologies and products (enzymes and yeasts) to produce 2nd generation bioethanol from whole, dedicated plants and also from agricultural and forestry byproducts, green residues and other lignocellulosic biomass. Supported by OSEO and accredited by the IAR competitive cluster (Industry and Agri-resources), this 8-year-old project has a budget of over € 76 million.The project will establish a pilot unit, followed by a prototype, while R&D activities are in progress. The project associates 11 partners belonging to an organisation called PROCETHOL 2G (ARD, CGB, Champagne Céréales, Crédit-Agricole NordEst, IFP, INRA, Lesaffre, ONF, Tereos, Total and Unigrains). GAYA project: demonstrating the validity of gaseous biofuels produced by thermo-chemical conversion Coordinated by GDF – Suez and associating 11 partners (GDF – Suez, CEA1, CIRAD, CTP, FCBA, LGC, LSGC, RAPSODEE, Repotec, UCCS and UCFF), GAYA aims to demonstrate, on a pre-industrial scale, the technical, economic, environmental and societal validity of the production process for gaseous biofuels by thermochemical conversion. The project will involve the building and exploitation of a complete chain of demonstrators over 7 years, in order to eliminate the current constraints on this segment and improve its performance. With a budget of € 46.5 million, the project has received € 19 million of joint financing from the ADEME in the framework of the demonstrator funds.The project has also been accredited by the TENERRDIS competitive cluster. BioTfueL project: developing a production chain by thermo-chemical conversion By 2017, BioTfueL is seeking to develop a complete chain of industrial processes capable of processing the widest possible range of biomass resources (agricultural residues, small pieces of wood and fossil fuel (petroleum) residues. Objective: to produce a high quality, 2nd generation biokerosene and biodiesel. The project also aims to seek the optimum balance between the economic and environmental performances of the chain of processes. In particular, the project plans the construction of two demonstration sites (one biomass preparation unit and one biomass gasification unit). Coordinated by Bionext, the project is being conducted in partnership with Axens, the CEA, IFP, Sofiproteol, Total and Uhde GmbH (ThyssenKrupp). BioTfueL receives € 30 million of joint financing from the ADEME’s Research Demonstrator Fund.


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© Laurent Mignaux



Hydraulic energy Based on the driving force of water, hydraulic energy is the third-largest source of electricity production in the world, behind coal and gas.With annual production of approximately 3,000 TWh, hydraulic energy satisfies one fifth of global electricity needs.

Currently, the French production capacity amounts to 23,500 MW for a production of 69 TWh/year. Capitalising on its extensive experience in this field, France is intending to increase its production capacities even further, by 2,500 MW (via the optimisation of the existing plants, the development of small-scale hydroelectric power, etc.) by 2020. In France, hydroelectricity has been exploited since the end of the 19th century. 640 dams are in operation, 150 of which exceed a height of 20 m.

© Mj2 Technologies

Global hydraulic energy production has increased from 1,000 TWh in 1965 to 3,000 TWh today. This significant growth is particularly pronounced in South America and Asia – the leading producer of hydroelectric power, accounting for 27 % of global production. The potential for further development remains very high in Asia, Latin America and Africa. In France, hydraulic energy is the second-biggest source of electricity production, behind nuclear power (12 %).

VLH turbine – MJ2 technologies

Proven technologies for exploiting freshwater energy The technologies used to exploit hydraulic energy are very mature. The kinetic energy of water is converted into electrical energy by an alternator rotor connected to a turbine. There are different types of hydroelectric power stations, which are usually designed according to the geographical characteristics of sites: 1. Reservoir power station: the retaining reservoir created by a dam supplies power to the station’s turbines, thus producing a large amount of energy very quickly. This type of plant, which in a certain manner allows for the storage of energy, can be relied

Nant de Drance hydroelectric power station in Switzerland – Alstom Alstom, the world’s leading supplier of hydroelectric equipment and services, has supplied turbines and alternators to operators throughout the world for production exceeding 450 GW. Alstom technology is used in around 25% of the hydroelectric power stations worldwide. Pumped storage is the most efficient and flexible technology for storing energy on a large scale. Alstom is also the world leader in pumped storage, with 140 turbine-pumps and currently more than 310 turbine-pump alternators in operation or undergoing construction throughout the world, representing more than 22 GW of power. Variable-speed technology is used at the Nant de Drance hydroelectric power station in Finhaut, situated in the south-western canton of Switzerland, which should eventually produce 628 MW of electricity. This corresponds to the consumption of approximately 600,000 households or the total peak-period consumption of the Swiss Federal Railway Network.

VLH by MJ2 Technologies a revolutionary concept for Very Low Heads Since creating its first prototype, MJ2 Technologies has installed more than 20 Very Low Head Turbo-Generators (VLH) in France and abroad. First installed in 2007, the VLH concept has demonstrated its capacity to optimise the exploitation of very low heads that were previously considered to be unprofitable. Furthermore, a very advanced research programme, developed in collaboration with the relevant administrations and conducted by the best experts, has allowed for the validation of its unrivalled fishfriendly characteristics. Its very low visual impact and great unobtrusiveness mean that it has an exceptionally small environmental impact. upon to satisfy the demands of the grid at the most appropriate times. France possesses around a hundred reservoir power stations. A certain number of plants consist of an upper and a lower reservoir, which by pumping the water and passing it through turbines, allows for the storage of the surplus electricity produced in the form of potential energy for subsequent use. 2. Run-of-river power stations: lacking a reservoir, these plants supply energy that cannot be modulated or stored and has to be consumed immediately on the grid. 55 % of the power is guaranteed year-round. More than 2,000 run-of-river power stations are operational in France, including nearly 1,700 mini-hydropower stations. 3. Pondage power stations: these plants operate using a reserve of water that corresponds to quite a short period of accumulation.The periods of lowest demand during the day provide an opportunity to reconstitute the reserve, which is then used at peak periods.

Geothermal extractor – Geothermal energy plant in Melun

BRGM The BRGM is France’s leading public institution in the Earth Sciences applications for the sustainable management of natural resources and surface and subsurface risks.

Geothermal energy Geothermal energy production involves collecting the Earth’s heat at very variable depths and exploiting it at the surface to produce heat, cold or electricity.

Low and medium-enthalpy geothermal energy (temperature of between 30 and 150°C) recovers geothermal heat via urban heating networks or in industrial and agricultural installations (e.g. heating of greenhouses), with opportunities for combined heat and power if permitted by the temperature. High-enthalpy geothermal energy (temperature of above 150°C) in vol-

The BRGM’s Geothermal Energy department participates in the development and promotion of this energy source, in France and throughout the world. The BRGM’s research in this field concerns all forms of geothermal energy and focuses on the following areas in particular: increasing knowledge of geothermal resources, optimising its exploitation procedures and integrating geothermal energy into buildings.

canic environments or in areas with hot fractured rock situated at depth, allows for the conversion of volcanic heat into electricity and ensures baseload electricity production, which is independent of climatic variables and available 24 hours a day.

© CFG Services

35 countries use geothermal energy to produce electricity, with the global installed power amounting to 11 GW. Heat is produced by geothermal energy in 79 countries, with a total installed power of 43 GW. Within Europe, France is ranked in 3rd place in terms of capacity and is playing an important role in the development of this energy. The Grenelle Environmental round table plans to multiply the amount of geothermal heat in the French energy mix by 6 between 2006 and 2020, representing the replacement of 1.3 million tonnes of oil equivalent, while the production of geothermal electricity in France should increase from 15 to 80 MW.

Mature technologies Very low-enthalpy geothermal energy (temperature below 30°C): based on the use of heat pumps, this technology is widely developed for single-family dwellings and also for residential, collective and tertiary buildings (the “Maison de la Radio” and several office blocks in the La Défense district of Paris, for example, have been heated and air-conditioned using geothermal energy for many years).

Lahendong geothermal energy power station (electricity production) in Indonesia – CFG Services, commissioned in 2001- 20 MW of power


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Pressure gauge and pipework – Geothermal energy plant at Chelles

Acknowledged French expertise France possesses the complete industrial fabric required for producing the components of geothermal loops and surface installations (boring pipes, exchangers, valves, turbines, alternators, regulation systems, corrosion treatment systems, binary plants, etc.) for the production of electricity or heat. The country also possesses key skills in the management of energy services, studies of geothermal resources and the expertise of companies capable of

highly complex drilling operations at great depths. French oil and specialist engineering companies such as Technip and Schlumberger can also offer these skills. In the geothermal energy field, France has also developed a geothermal risk coverage system which is now a benchmark at the global level. The Paris Basin is the site of the largest number of geothermal operations in the world. These are mainly low-energy geothermal operations intended for collective

heating (166,000 equivalent-dwellings are heated via geothermal heating networks, given that one typical operation allows for the heating of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 equivalent dwellings). These heating networks, mainly operated by companies such as Dalkia, Cofely and Coriance a2a, have been operating for nearly 30 years and therefore, the installations have been entirely amortised. The oldest of these installations, located in Melun l’Almont, was commissioned in 1969 and is still in operation. In the field of high-temperature geothermal installations for electricity production, ALSTOM has several important references to its credit, including in Indonesia, Guadeloupe and Mexico. The Bouillante power station is a pioneering site in the Caribbean, supplying 6 % of the electricity consumed in Guadeloupe. In terms of R&D, France is also a leader in research into the production of electricity by EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) technology. Conducted in association with Germany, the Soultz-sous-Forêts project in Alsace is the world’s first pilot programme that operates using this highly promising technology.

Paris-Orly airport is heated by geothermal energy Since the end of 2010, travellers passing through Paris-Orly airport are partly heated by geothermal energy. Indeed, one third of the heat produced for the South and West terminals originates from naturally hot water at 74°C, extracted at a depth of 1,750 metres in the Dogger. Aéroports de Paris has invested in these installations which have cost more than 12 million euros.The ADEME and the Île-de-France Region have subsidised this project, consisting of a geothermal doublet and surface facilities (exchangers, pumps, etc.). The Aéroports de Paris’ technical teams supervised this project, supported by the external skills of CFG Services for subsoil operations (studies, drilling and implementation of the geothermal doublet). In addition to offering major savings in gas consumption, geothermal energy will also allow Aéroports de Paris to eliminate the emission of 9,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Geothermal energy for an eco-district – Dalkia Dalkia, which operates 17 of the 29 geothermal installations in the Île-de-France region, will be constructing and operating (for a period of 25 years) the first geothermal heating network to supply an eco-district, at Fort d’Issy-les-Moulineaux. Two geothermal wells are being sunk to a depth of 600 metres to reach the Albien aquifer. 18 residential buildings, shops, the future child care facility and the Sustainable Development Centre will be connected to the network. Dalkia is also introducing another innovation: the creation of a warm water (28°C) loop which, thanks to heat pumps installed at the base of residential blocks, will heat and cool the accommodation.


Los Humeros geothermal power plant in Mexico Alstom A pioneer in the exploitation of geothermal energy, Alstom provides engineering and equipment and constructs geothermal solutions, from supplying turbines to building and maintaining the power plant. The Los Humeros project in Mexico is currently in progress and involves the construction Steam turbine – Los Humeros power station (Mexico) of a turnkey geothermal power Alstom station with two 25 MW units. Alstom is providing all engineering, procurement and construction services and is also supplying the steam turbine and the command and control system. This geothermal electricity power station will prevent the emission of 230,000 tonnes of CO2 per year in Mexico and will provide the State of Puebla with a clean and reliable source of energy.

© Laurent Mignaux - MEDDTL

Development of an organic Rankine cycle engine designed for geothermal energy Enertime At the start of 2011, Enertime raised €1.5 M of capital from an investment fund to complete the development of a 1 MW Organic Rankine Cycle module, designed for numerous applications in the renewable energies sector, especially high-energy geothermal energy starting at 160°C. This module uses a non-toxic, nonflammable fluid. A first 1 MW module will be brought into service in July 2012 in an industrial heat recuperation application for a foundry blast furnace in the Pays de la Loire region of France.

© Alstom

European Hot Dry Rock programme in Soultz-sous-Forêts The “Enhanced Geothermal Systems” (EGS) concept is designed to extract the heat stored in fractured rocks at great depth by circulating a fluid through a natural, high-capacity heat exchanger. Launched in 1987, the Franco-German programme at Soultz-sous-Forêts, in which the ADEME and BRGM are involved, is currently concentrating on a network of three deep wells descending more than 5,000 m. The systems allows for the recovery of approximately 20 litres of water heated to 200°C per second, and has a power capacity of 1.5 MW.

CFG Services and the BRGM: cross-disciplinary expertise in geothermal energy Since 1980, CFG Services, a subsidiary of the BRGM group, has been maintaining and servicing the underground structures of several operations in the Paris and Aquitaine basins, which are mainly exploited for collective heating. At the international level, CFG Services has supported a 105 MW geothermal project in El Salvador and supervised the construction of a 20 MW geothermal power station in Indonesia. In 2009, the company performed studies into the possibility of heating large cities in northern China by geothermal energy as a substitute for coal. With the BRGM, CFG Services is also a stakeholder in the Bouillante geothermal power station – the only plant of its kind in the Caribbean, which supplies approximately 6 % of the electricity consumed in Guadeloupe.The BRGM is also involved in the characterisation of resources and their method of exploitation, for all of the techniques involved in geothermal energy.

Boiler at the Melun geothermal energy plant


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French aid and expertise worldwide Through initiatives and dedicated financial instruments, France provides international support for numerous development projects and technology transfers in the renewable energies sector.

The scheme includes the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. The following types of intervention are supported in particular: preparatory studies for infrastructure construction and/or operation projects; feasibility studies; preliminary design projects and tender designs, etc; technical support for project preparation or execution; institutional cooperation for economic purposes. FASEP “Green Innovation” allows for the financing of pilot demonstration projects for French green and innovative technology in emerging countries.

FASEP fund – Studies and Green Innovation for emerging countries FASEP is a donation scheme for local beneficiaries (central government, provincial government, municipality, technical agency, etc.) with average sums of approximately 400,000 euros. It allows for the financing of services which meet the local beneficiary’s need, are situated upstream of development projects and are likely to call upon the expertise of French companies (engineering, equipment manufacturers and operators), for which the financing has been identified (public or private, bilateral or multilateral).

Reserve for Emerging Countries (RPE - Réserve Pays Émergents) The RPE is an intergovernmental loan scheme with a sovereign guarantee, for the financing of projects (mainly infrastructures) that correspond to the beneficiary country’s development targets. The financing of projects is envisaged on a project-by-project basis and mainly applies to the financing of French goods and services. Renewable energies and projects forming part of the mechanisms set out in the Kyoto Protocol are amongst the priorities targeted by the RPE.

Implementation of the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP) The MSP is one of the six major initiatives of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), launched in Paris on 13 July 2008. Its aim is to help the Mediterranean region and the European Union rise to the major energy and climate challenges. The MSP is structured around two major objectives: ◗ Creating additional capacities for renewable electricity production in the Mediterranean countries, with total power of 20 gigawatts by 2020, ◗ Devoting major efforts to controlling the demand for energy while increasing energy efficiency and energy savings in all countries of the region.

© Bertin Technologies

FOCUS

Solar resource measurement station Bertin technologies

Note that the scheme is limited to a certain number of countries and that the financing conditions are governed by the rules of the OECD. Projects of the French Development Agency (AFD) With an on-site presence in more than 50 countries, the AFD finances economic and social development projects in numerous countries as the mainstay operator of French public aid for development. Through a wide range of financial instruments (loans, subsidies, guarantees, etc.), the AFD supports the public authorities, private sector and local associative networks in the implementation of a very diverse range of economic and social projects. The AFD is involved in environmental protection and energy management topics. In 2009, nearly € 2.5 billion of funding was allocated to projects and programmes contributing to the fight against climate change. In 2010, the sums committed by the AFD in developing countries prevented the emission of 5 million tonnes of CO2 (i.e. equal to the emissions produced by 1.8 million vehicles). French Global Environment Fund (FGEF) An instrument of the French cooperation and development policy, the FGEF is a bilateral public fund that was created by the French government in 1994 after the Rio Summit. The co-financing of the FGEF (maximum of 50 % of the total cost of the project) aims to support multi-stakeholder partnerships and forms part of the strategic priorities of French aid. The FGEF seeks to associate the protection of the global environment with local development through sustainable development projects in numerous fields including the fight against climate change.

Fresnel mirror solar power station, La Seyne-sur-Mer – CNIM

FASEP project on the feasibility of a solar thermodynamic (CSP) power plant in Burkina Faso – Bertin Technologies As it is highly dependent on hydrocarbon imports, Burkina Faso wishes to diversify its energy mix by using renewable energies to offer its entire population continuous access to electricity by 2020. Conducted by Bertin Technologies in 2010-2011, the study was financed by the FASEP and determined the site and technology for an initial CSP project, studied its technical and economic feasibility and analysed the legal context allowing for the integration of this source of electricity. Based on the results of this study, Burkina Faso’s national electricity company (Société nationale d’électricité du Burkina Faso – Sonabel) opted for an initial project consisting of a hybrid power station in which a CSP plant with Fresnel mirrors is connected to an existing diesel power station. Bertin Technologies is one of the leaders in industrial innovation and has positioned itself as a developer of technological solutions dedicated to CSP, especially in the field of measuring solar resources.

Programme France export: expanding on export markets With its partners in the French export team, UBIFRANCE uses its network of Energy-Environment experts deployed in 56 countries to offer French companies a programme of actions aimed at markets with high growth potential. In 2012, this programme is conducting around sixty actions, especially with regard to developing countries. These actions range from participation in a professional trade fair and the organisation of tailor-made “B-to-B” appointment programmes, to promotional seminars on French expertise and the organisation of “Selling with…” events involving foreign ordering customers. Furthermore, UBIFRANCE offers a wide range of information and consultancy services, which also include arranging contacts with foreign decision-makers, in order to help French companies break into export markets.

Bionersis develops, installs and operates energy recovery installations using biogas from landfills that are specially designed to meet the needs of developing countries.The installation of biogas collection networks and the recovery of the methane contained within contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and obtaining carbon credits in the framework of the CDM.This also allows for the production of energy by biogas-operated generators. Bionersis has 20 landfill biogas exploitation and recovery contracts in eight Asian and Latin American countries, for a total reduction of approximately 12 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents.The biggest Bionersis project, which has been operating since May 2011, is the biogas collection and recovery unit at the Nam Son landfill site at Hanoi (Vietnam). Scheduled to run for a renewable seven-year period, this project should allow for the reduction of nearly 3,000,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions throughout its total service life.

© Bionersis

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Instituted by the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM allows companies from industrialised countries to carry out and/or co-finance projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. In return, the investor obtains “carbon credits” corresponding to the emissions prevented due to the implementation of the project.The aim is to encourage investments in developing countries and promote the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies. Until now, two-thirds of the projects recorded by the United Nations have been concentrated in Asia with the remaining third taking place in Latin America. Likewise, nearly two-thirds of projects relate to energy efficiency and the replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energies.

MDP project in Vietnam for the recovery of biogas from landfills – Bionersis

Landfill biogas collection and recovery unit in Vietnam – Bionersis


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© CNIM



Consultancy, engineering and training In the renewable energy sector, over 700 consultancies and private design offices in France offer their consultancy, training, auditing and project management services. Public bodies also offer numerous consultancy and training services. A large number of training courses (from the certificate in professional skills to University Master’s degrees) are delivered in this sector in France and professional bodies such as the Compagnons du Soleil, along with the prestigious Grandes écoles higher education institutions and universities offer specialist training courses. Business schools offer training courses designed for the commercial sector. Vocational education colleges (lycées professionnels) prepare technicians and installers through Baccalauréat professionnel vocational qualifications. Continuing vocational training for professionals is also provided by numerous organisations whose skills are recognised at the international level, such as the ADEME, CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers – higher education institution), GRETA (adult education institutes) and CESI (engineering training institutions), etc. Schemes run by professional branches (FEEBAT) develop the skills of building industry companies.

ADEME the French Environment and Energy Management Agency The ADEME proposes training courses intended primarily for private stakeholders: ◗ Wood energy in the collective and tertiary sectors: this training course includes information about designing a collective wood-fired boiler plant. Its teaching covers the basic concepts behind collective wood-fired boiler plants and different ways of managing and securing wood stocks. ◗ “Wind power systems” (Grand Éolien): complete or partial training for professionals on the management of a wind energy project. It starts with a review of the current status of the wind energy market and covers institutional, technical, regulatory, administrative and financial aspects. It is conducted by the Cabinet Métrol consultancy. ◗ PHOTON : technical implementation and monitoring of photovoltaic systems.This training allows participants to understand the photovoltaic sector in terms of grid and line extensions, and to learn how to carry out a project feasibility analysis. It also contains a methodology for project management. ◗ PHOTON GRID (PHOTON RESEAU): training course focusing on pho-

Renewable energy training for Tunisian engineers Delivered by the INSTN in partnership with the ADEME in 20112012, this training course lasting around twenty days (including technical training and tours of operational installations) involved 25 Tunisian engineers from the Tunisian National Energy Management Agency (Agence Nationale tunisienne de la Maîtrise de l’Énergie – ANME) and from STEG – ER, the Renewable Energies branch of the Tunisian electricity and Gas Company (Société Tunisienne de l’Électricité et du Gaz – STEG). The training dealt with renewable energies and energy efficiency. tovoltaic systems connected to the electricity distribution grid. ◗ Solar thermal: training on the use of solar thermal energy for the production of collective domestic hot water. The different stages in setting up a project are studied, including feasibility, financing, dimensioning, implementation and operation.

CNAM The Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) in Nancy runs a 360-hour training course in energy management of technicians. Its main topics include: renewable energies, traditional energies, heat pumps, management, regulations, health and safety, cooling and air conditioning technologies. Logiciel ENERMER – EGIS

© Exosun


Engineering companies

BRGM Operating in more than 40 countries, the BRGM offers its services (expertise, technical support and training) in Earth sciences fields for industrialists, governments and different stakeholders from civil society. In the field of geothermal energy in France, the BRGM has developed two training modules in collaboration with the ADEME: • “Introduction and awareness-raising on geothermal energy”, • “Geothermal heat pumps in the collective and tertiary sectors: setting up projects”. The National Solar Energy Institute (INES - Institut National de l’Énergie solaire) The INES Training & Assessment platform delivers a complete range of training courses on solar thermal, photovoltaic energy and energy for buildings, in association with the industrial sector and research. The platform also incorporates assessing the performance of installations and information for professionals. Continuing vocational training: Through INES Education, the INES is developing numerous continuing vocational training courses organised in situ or in other regions, covering the energy efficiency of buildings and solar thermal and photovoltaic energy. Every year, 1,800 professionals (architects, design offices, companies, local authority staff, etc.) are trained by acknowledged experts and researchers from the INES. From 2012, the INES is extending its range of training courses with sessions intended for solar equipment installers and maintenance engineers. Initial training: The University of Savoie covers all levels of initial training on energy and the building industry, with a renowned speciality in solar energy. Over 300 students each year receive training on topics ranging from climatic engineering to civil engineering and from renewable energies to the building industry.

Feasibility study for a solar thermodynamic power station in the Republic of Macedonia In March 2011, the Sogreah-Carbonium Consortium began the feasibility study for a concentrated solar thermal power station in Macedonia, financed by the FASEP fund. The first phase allowed for the provision of support for ELEM – the national electricity producer – in choosing the optimal configuration from either of the two possible configurations (100 % solar plant producing approximately 30 MWel or a hybrid high-temperature heat production plant linked to the existing coal-fired power station at Bitola producing 3 x 230 MWel), from technical, economic, financial and administrative points of view. The second phase, running until March 2012, is dedicated to the design of the chosen plant, i.e. the hybrid configuration. The final phase will consist of drafting the tender documentation. A large proportion of the work concerns the financial arrangements for the future power station.That is why the potential financial partners (Macedonian Ministry of Finance, lenders and donors, national and international banks) have been involved throughout the duration of the study. ENERMER software – EGIS Egis has developed a decision-making tool capable of identifying the potential to exploit marine resources as renewable energy sources, and the technically and economically optimal areas for siting projects. The software is organised into several stages: discovering the characteristics of the marine environment, locating infrastructures for transporting the energy produced, identifying the marine energy potentials, defining the most appropriate techniques for exploiting these energy sources and determining areas with high economic profitability.This software – ENERMER – can be used for all renewable energy sources of marine origin (wind, wave, current and ocean thermal gradients). ENERMER has been developed in the framework of partnership contracts and R&D programmes at the French national and European levels (ADEME, Martinique Region, Ministry of Industry, ERDF European fund). Engineering at the service of geothermal energy – BURGEAP BURGEAP, capitalising on its expertise in hydrogeology and geology, intervenes in the design and implementation of geothermal solutions, especially using vertical geothermal probes and aquifer-based geothermal energy. The installation of a geothermal system is also an asset for construction projects seeking “Low-Energy Consumption Building” (Bâtiment Basse Consommation – BBC) labelling. In particular, BURGEAP offers a training course entitled: “Geothermal energy: evaluating environmental, technical, economic and administrative feasibility”.This training course includes the technical and legal elements required to secure the organisation of an operation from the resource through to its operation and maintenance. As experts in environmental engineering and development aid, the BURGEAP-IGIP Holding SE (BIHSE) group has accumulated more than 20,000 references in 80 countries.

Training for trainers: intended for teachers in technological and vocational high schools and further education colleges, trainers from Apprentice Training Centres, trainers from private training centres or in-house company training departments. French know-how in the field of renewable energies

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Contacts PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing – MEDDTL Prepares and implements the Government’s policy in the sustainable development, environment, climate and industrial safety fields. In conjunction with the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry, it is also responsible for preparing and implementing the Government’s policy on renewable energies, development and promotion of green energies and reducing energy consumption. www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry – MINEFI In charge of French economic policy, this ministry is also responsible for the Government’s policy on external trade, industry, energy and support for companies. www.economie.gouv.fr ADEME French Environment and Energy Management Agency France’s main public institution for implementing public environment and energy management policies. The agency encourages, organises, coordinates, facilitates and carries out operations in the following fields: waste management, soil preservation, energy efficiency and renewable energies, air quality and noise prevention.The agency offers its expertise and consultancy services to companies, local authorities, public authorities and the general public. www.ademe.fr Club ADEME International Network consisting of around a hundred innovative French eco-companies active on the global sustainable development market. The club supports its members in the development of innovative projects and international partnerships. www.clubinternational.ademe.fr Ubifrance and the French trade commissions Under the authority of the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry, UBIFRANCE – the French Agency for the international development of companies – plays a central role in the public support mechanism for external trade. Capitalising on its network of 77 French trade commissions situated in 56 countries, it offers a complete range of services and products to support French companies in their development on foreign markets: information, consultancy and monitoring products to help companies formulate their international development strategy and promotional actions to facilitate partnerships with foreign companies. www.ubifrance.fr

AFD – French Development Agency A pivotal operator for public development aid, the AFD is a public establishment responsible for financing economic and social development projects in numerous developing countries. www.afd.fr BRGM A leading public establishment in the field of Earth Sciences for the management of resources and risks (soil and subsoil), especially in the geothermal energy field. www.brgm.fr and www.geothermie-perspectives.fr CEA – Atomic energy and Alternative Energies Commission This French public scientific research body in the energy, defence, information technologies, life and health sciences fields, supports the growth of new technologies for energy: solar photovoltaic, electric batteries, hydrogen, biomass, etc. www.cea.fr CNRS – French National Centre for Scientific Research The CNRS is a public research body under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. It generates knowledge and makes this knowledge available to society.The CNRS performs its activities in all fields of knowledge through 10 discipline-specific institutes, supported by over 1,100 research and service units. The PROMES laboratory (PROcédés Matériaux et Énergie Solaire – Materials and Solar Energy Processes) is attached to the INSIS institute. www.cnrs.fr CSTB – French Scientific and Technical Centre for Building The CSTB performs four key activities: research, expertise, assessment and dissemination of knowledge.The CSTB has 850 national, European and international employees. www.cstb.fr IFP – Énergies nouvelles Public research, industrial innovation and training body in the energy, transport and environment fields, working in particular on the production of biofuels, chemical intermediates and energy from biomass and on the design of technological solutions for exploiting marine energies. www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.fr IFREMER – French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea Public research and development body with activities in coastal environmental management and ocean research, working in particular on the development of renewable marine energies. www.ifremer.fr INES – National Solar Energy Institute Foremost French centre and one of the leading European centres in the solar energy field, INES consists of two platforms dedicated to Research & Innovation and Training & Assessment. www.ines-solaire.org

Les Mées solar farm – Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Region – Created by Eco Delta 1st farm producing 30.9 MWc

Competitive Clusters

PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS PEXE The Association for the promotion and international development of French eco-companies, the PEXE aims to increase the individual and collective competitiveness of ecocompanies and create a sector of excellence in the field of eco-activities.The association brings together and represents over 5,000 French eco-companies. www.pexe.fr SER – Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables (French Renewable Energies Union) The SER brings together several thousand companies, designers, manufacturers, installers and specialist professional associations, representing the different renewable energy sectors. Main committees of the SER: • SER-SOLER – French Solar Photovoltaic Professionals Group • SER-FBE – French Biomass Energy Association • SER-FEE – French Wind Energy Association The SER also manages Windustry France: Windustry France Collaborative platform developed and supported by the SER, whose aim is to identify and bring together French industrial stakeholders likely to take part in the development of the industrial wind energy sector. www.enr.fr Other sector-specific professional associations

• AFPG – French Association of Geothermal Energy Professionals

www.afpg.asso.fr/

• AFPAC – French Association for Heat Pumps www.afpac.org

• ENERPLAN – French professional association for solar energy

“Competitive clusters” are individually accredited by the French State and provide a single location for companies, higher education institutions and public or private research bodies to work synergistically on the implementation of economic development projects for innovation. The main competitive clusters in the renewable energy fields are listed below: CAPENERGIES www.capenergies.fr Management of the demand for energy and renewable energies – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Corsica, Guadeloupe, Reunion Island and the Principality of Monaco DERBI www.pole-derbi.com Renewable energies in buildings and industry – Languedoc-Roussillon region TENERRDIS www.tenerrdis.fr New energy technologies and renewable energies – Rhône-Alpes region Pôle Mer Bretagne www.pole-mer-bretagne.com Pôle Mer PACA www.polemerpaca.com Innovative collaborative projects in the maritime sector, including with regard to the exploitation of marine energy sources – based in Brittany and in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region IAR Industrie et Agroressources (Industry and Agri-resources) Recovery of plant matter for non-food purposes – Champagne-Ardenne and Picardy regions

www.enerplan.asso.fr/

Observ’ER Monitors, informs and proposes solutions in the field of renewable energies; quantifies and qualifies scientific, technical and industrial progress in each of the disciplines. The Monitoring Unit publishes a “barometer” of renewable energies. www.energies-renouvelables.org CLER – Liaison Committee for Renewable Energies Association consisting of 180 French professionals. Develops regional, national and international actions in the fields of renewable energies and energy management, relying on support from the members of its network. www.cler.org GERES Non-profit-making body created in 1976, carrying out innovative sustainable development projects in France, Europe and in African and Asian countries www.geres.eu

S2E2 Smart Electricity Cluster www.s2e2.fr ICT and optimisation of electrical energy, from its source to its use – Centre and Limousin region Alsace énergivie - Positive Energy Buildings pole.energivie.eu Positive energy solutions in the building industry; energy efficiency and renewable energies – Alsace region

Energies for the World Foundation (Fondation Énergies pour le Monde) This NGO is a State-registered charity (ONG reconnue d’utilité publique) which implements decentralised rural electricity projects in Africa, Madagascar, South-East Asia, India, China, the Caribbean and Pacific area. www.energies-renouvelables.org


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© Laurent Caillierez- ADEME



ABOUT ADEME The French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) is a public agency under the joint authority of the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, the Ministry for Higher Education and Research, and the Ministry for Economy, Finance and Industry. The agency is active in the implementation of public

3 000 ex. I ISBN 978-2-35838-290-8 I avril 2012 I Imprimé par I.M.E. sur papier 100 % recyclé

policy in the areas of the environment, energy and sustainable development.

ADEME provides expertise and advisory services to businesses, local authorities and communities, government bodies and the public at large, to enable them to establish and consolidate their environmental action. As part of this work the agency helps finance projects, from research to implementation, in the areas of waste management, soil conservation, energy efficiency and renewable

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energy, air quality and noise abatement.

En partenariat avec :

ADEME 20, avenue du Grésillé BP 90406 I 49004 Angers Cedex 01

www.ademe.fr