This week, the wholly owned Total subsidiary and producer of renewable electricity, Total Quadran inaugurated the largest solar power plant with energy storage in New Caledonia, and all of overseas France. The plant combines a capacity of 16 MWp with a lithium-ion energy storage system (ess) with a capacity of 10 MW.
Total Quadran was created in 2013 to provide widespread access to four sources of renewable energy: wind power, solar power, biomass energy and hydropower.
In 2017, the first part of the plant Hélio Boulouparis was put on stream. The new addition this week makes the plant the most extensive solar program ever carried out in New Caledonia. Equipped with more than 58,000 solar panels and an installed capacity of nearly 16 MWp, combined with lithium-ion ess with a capacity of 10 MW, the plant provides electricity for over 21,000 residents. The combination of solar power and energy storage will improve quality and reliability of the electricity grid.
Stefan Sontheimer, Director of Total Quadran’s Pacific agency adds: “The territorial aspect of these projects is crucial. They can only be carried out if local institutions are on board and with a strong support from all local stakeholders. In all, 200 people from companies in New Caledonia worked on the project. They were involved at each stage, from site selection, design, permits and financing on through to construction and now operation and maintenance."
