Compagnie Nationale du Rhône to install 100 MW of solar on salt marshes

Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) and its subsidiary, Vensolair, have partnered with the Salins group, a major European salt producer, to create ground-mounted PV plants on multiple salt production sites.

CNR aims to install approximately 100 MW of solar capacity through this collaboration. The salt producer will provide a dozen locations across the Mediterranean region and Meurthe-et-Moselle department, which consist mainly of underutilized land and former salt production sites.

CNR and Vensolair will develop, construct, and manage utility-scale PV plants on these repurposed lands. Additionally, the agreement allows the Salins group to acquire ownership stakes in the solar plants' special purpose vehicles.

“Our two companies use sun, water and wind to produce salt and electricity. The dal nourishes a common ambition for the ecological transition,” said Laurence Borie-Bancel, President of CNR.

CNR and Salins plan to build experimental PV facilities on active salt production sites, commencing the project next year. The initiative will investigate the advantages of installing solar panels over concentration basins for salt production and assess the impact on the biodiversity within saline coastal regions and the natural course of the Rhône. CNR, a French energy firm, presently manages 4 GW of renewable energy assets.