Lyon-Saint Exupéry goes solar
Set to go into service in 2025, the solar plant at Lyon-Saint Exupéry consists of 14 hectares of shade structures sheltering 5,800 of the airport’s parking spaces, making it one of the largest solar carports in France. Offering 20 MWp capacity, it will generate 24 GWh of green electricity annually enough to meet the needs of 9,000 local residents. Design, financing and construction were entrusted to a consortium formed of Neoen and SunMind, VINCI Concessions’ photovoltaics subsidiary, which will operate the plant until 2047. With this mega-plant, Lyon-Saint Exupéry which in late 2022 obtained ACA 4+ accreditation, one of the highest levels granted by the ACI is confirming its status as the VINCI Concessions innovation lab and pilot site. This major project also contributes to VINCI Airports’ overarching ambition to produce renewable energies at its sites. VINCI Airports has been committed to developing the solar potential of its network since 2016 and therefore already possesses capacity of over 40 MWp, with plants in operation in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Japan, France and Mexico.
Background
Solar energy plays a key role in the VINCI Concessions decarbonisation plan. With potential capacity estimated at over 1.2 GWp, installing solar plants within the network revolutionises its energy supply not only for the structures themselves, but also for local companies and authorities.
14 hectares solar canopies
24 GWhof power produced annually