The solar park comprises over 58,000 solar panels, which produce enough electricity to cover the needs of more than 21,000 people in New Caledonia
Image: Total Quadran begins operations of 16MWp Hélio Boulouparis 2 solar park in New Caledonia. Photo: courtesy of Sebastian Ganso from Pixabay.
Total Quadran subsidiary of Total has commissioned operations of 16MW Hélio Boulouparis 2 solar plant in New Caledonia.
The solar facility comprises over 58,000 solar panels, which produce enough electricity to cover the needs of more than 21,000 people in New Caledonia.
Hélio Boulouparis 2 solar project also features a lithium-ion energy storage system (ESS) with approximately 10 MW of capacity.
Total Quadran said that the combination of a large photovoltaic system with an ESS will help in improving the quality and reliability of the electricity grid for the benefit of the local population.
Hélio Boulouparis 1 is the first phase of the solar park
Total Quadran general manager Thierry Muller said: “With nearly 60% of the total photovoltaic capacity installed in New Caledonia, Total Quadran is positioned as the first player in the New Caledonian solar market.
“As a historical player in the territory, Total is proud to be able to contribute to a less carbon-intensive energy mix of the region, while promoting the integration of renewables into the electricity grid through appropriate storage facilities.”
The company said that the Hélio Boulouparis 2 is the second phase of the solar park, which is an extensive solar programme in New Caledonia. Helio Boulouparis 1 is the first phase that has been in operation since 2017.
Currently, Total Quadran operates over 300 renewable power generation facilities, or an aggregate installed capacity of nearly 900MW, which corresponds to the annual consumption of close to 1.5 million people.
With a presence in New Caledonia for more than 20 years, the company manages 7 solar power plants with a cumulated capacity of 50MW.
In October this year, Total Solar International, a subsidiary of Total, started construction on 52MW Miyagi Osato Solar Park in Japan.
Located in Osato, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the project will be equipped with approximately 116,000 SunPower’s Maxeon solar panels, which offers reliable performance across the entire life of every installation.