The French EDF group has chosen the Montpellier Métropole area, where its EDF Renouvelables renewable energy subsidiary is located, as the control center for its wind turbine and photovoltaic sites in France.
Antoine Hantz, development director for EDF Renouvelables
Montpellier, national hub for EDF Renouvelables
There are good reasons for the entity to increase its staff: the Montpellier EDF Renouvelables site’s goal is to become its national hub for renewable energies. With its European Management and Supervision Center for wind turbine and solar farms located in Colombiers (in the Hérault department), it will steer all wind turbine and photovoltaic sites for the EDF group.As France’s foremost producer and leading supplier of electricity, EDF has set an objective to consolidate its position as national leader for renewable energies by adapting its Solar Plan, whose goal is to hold 30% share in the solar market by 2035.
Montpellier was not a random choice for EDF
Dedicated to promoting innovative projects, EDF’s Pulse program has recognized companies operating in the Montpellier Métropole area, such as Sensing Labs. In a joint effort in 2019 with Nîmes-based Alfilieo and Toulouse-based Flutillant, the company offered a unique solution whose goal was to monitor the effective operation of photovoltaic installations, notably with the ability to detect abnormal equipment temperature increases in order to trigger maintenance alerts as quickly as possible.“We are positioned to handle high-growth activities, including new technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT. In addition to offering a strong location on the map for renewable energy projects, Montpellier also benefits from a particularly effective and dynamic innovation ecosystem,” explains Vincent Renouard, mission manager for the Regional EDF delegation in Occitanie.
Many other projects – still not revealed to the public – are being developed with other companies in the metropolitan area.“We also work with Montpellier BIC, as our focus is on technological innovation,” adds Vincent Renouard.
By deploying its group’s national decarbonization strategy, EDF Renouvelables will also conduct experiments. For example, they have created demonstrators that will be set up soon at research centers located in Montpellier, such as INRAE and Cirad, as well as local Chambers of Agriculture, to study how to reconcile agricultural production with energy production. In other words, how photovoltaic solutions help plants with respect to water savings and protection against the cold. A new world is also taking shape in Montpellier.
