Siemens Energy has received its first large-scale photovoltaic order from French firm Eco Delta Développement (EDD), whose subsidiary Delta Solar is developing a 30-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic park.

Under the contract, Siemens will handle the turnkey construction of six solar power plants with a combined capacity of 30 MW in Les Mées in the province Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The plants are scheduled to go on line in stages starting in the summer of 2011.

“With this order we are entering in the French solar market,” said René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens Energy. The market will increase from today’s 350 MWp installed solar plant capacity to as much as to 5400 MWp in 2020. “With its vast experience in the turnkey erection of power plants Siemens is capable of implementing solar projects of this size. In France we see good prospects for our future solar business.”

The photovoltaic plants will be built on an area extending across 66 hectares on the Puimichel plateau. Siemens as turnkey contractor will be responsible for all aspects of construction of the six photovoltaic plants, including civil works, supports, inverters, transformers, grid connection, control system and structures for the approximately 111,000 solar panels. The order includes an operation & maintenance (O&M) agreement.