Solairedirect, which was established in 2006, specializes in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of solar power parks.
The company has developed 486MW of capacity across 57 solar parks. It currently operates a gross capacity of 224MW in France and has set a target to develop 125MW more every year.
The transaction expands Engie’s installed solar power capacity in France to 383MW as it already operates 158.5MW of ground-mounted PV facilities in the country.
Engie chairman and CEO Gérard Mestrallet said: "We already lead the French wind power market, and this deal makes us the country’s number 1 in solar power too.
"We intend to strengthen these positions around the world. By pooling the expertise of Solairedirect and ENGIE staff, we will be able to speed up our development in renewable energies, in line with our strategy to spearhead Europe’s energy transition and become the benchmark energy supplier on high-growth markets."
Engie has to date installed 19GW of renewable energy plants globally, including 201MW of solar farms. It also has an additional 27GW under construction or development abroad.
In Europe, the company plans to double its renewable energy capacities between 2015 and 2025 to hit 16GW.
Image: The photovoltaic solar plant of Langelé. Photo: courtesy of Engie.
