France’s government has recently unveiled the latest draft of its multi-year energy plan, adjusting the target for photovoltaic (PV) installations in 2035 from the previously set 100GW to 90GW. The draft is now open for public consultation, with the deadline for feedback set on April 5.
According to the latest draft of the multi-year energy plan released by the French government, France has moderately adjusted its development goals for the PV industry. Compared to the previous target range of 75-100GW set in November 2024, the draft now sets the target range for 2035 at 65-90GW. Despite this adjustment, France’s emphasis on the PV industry remains undiminished, with an expected installed PV capacity of 54GW by 2030.
France plans to add at least 5.5GW of new PV installed capacity annually between 2025 and 2027, a significant increase from the previous target of 3GW per year set in the multi-year energy plan. In 2029 and 2030, France aims to boost the annual new PV installed capacity to 7.5GW.
As of the end of 2024, France’s installed PV capacity had reached 23.7GW, according to data from French transmission system operator RTE. In 2024 alone, France added 4.7GW of new PV installed capacity, bringing it closer to the new annual target set for 2025.
Among the operational solar power plants in France, ground-mounted PV projects dominate, accounting for over half at 54%. Large-scale ground-mounted projects account for 38%, while rooftop PV accounts for 16%. The remaining installed capacity includes 41% from small and medium-sized rooftop PV projects and 5% from small ground-mounted PV projects.
To achieve the PV installation targets, France will launch tenders for both ground-mounted and rooftop PV projects between 2025 and 2035. For ground-mounted PV projects, tenders will be held twice a year, each with a capacity of 1GW, slightly higher than previous tender capacities. The capacity limit for rooftop PV tenders will be reduced from 400MW to 300MW, with tenders held three times a year.
In addition to ground-mounted and rooftop PV tenders, France will also hold a technology-neutral tender annually, with a capacity of approximately 500MW, covering solar, wind, and hydropower projects. Furthermore, agricultural PV projects will receive support through related or dedicated tenders.
In the PV manufacturing sector, France plans to achieve an annual production capacity of 5GW-10GW for solar cells and modules by 2035, along with a rated production capacity of 3GW-5GW for silicon ingots and wafers. However, the draft does not specify whether plans will be introduced to support the development of the domestic manufacturing industry.
