Since October 2022, the OPHELIA project aims to promote the development of linear photovoltaic power plants by installing solar panels on long and narrow plots of land dedicated to other uses: dikes, canals, railway edges, roadsides, and cycle paths. The goal is to address the issue of the scarcity of available land for new PV parks while using already developed areas, thereby limiting the impact on natural spaces.
Representing an investment of over €20 million, the OPHELIA project is funded by the French State as part of the France 2030 investment plan – operated by ADEME – and holds labels awarded by the Tenerrdis and i-Trans industrial clusters.
Benkei works alongside the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône and all the partners in the project coordination and communication on social networks.
The OPHELIA project is structured around three main objectives:
- Study the photovoltaic potential and integration solutions on long, narrow land along existing infrastructures.
- Reduce electrical losses due to the great length of cables, by developing technological building blocks to replace alternating current with high voltage direct current.
- Test the electrical architecture and all prototypes on site thanks to the construction of a demonstrator.
The project brings together five leading partners, covering the entire value chain: the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (project coordinator and demonstrator pilot), the SuperGrid Institute (R&D of converters), Schneider Electric (R&D of electrical equipment), Nexans (R&D of cables and accessories), and SNCF (application on railway infrastructures).
Consortium overview and localisation of the demonstrator in Caderousse (84), France
The « ViaSolaire du Colombier » Demonstrator in Caderousse (84), France: a critical asset for the project’s succes
To overcome the various technological barriers, a « ViaSolaire du Colombier » demonstrator, located in the municipality of Caderousse (84), will be implemented with the following characteristics:
- A canopy structure, approximately 900m in length, installed as a cover for the ViaRhôna cycle route
- An electrical architecture with high voltage direct current (+/- 5kV)
- An installed photovoltaic power of approximately 1MWp
Photomontage representing the future « ViaSolaire du Colombier » demonstrator
Current and future developments at glance
2023 and 2024 have been devoted on the R&D phase of the overall demonstrator architecture and all its equipment. The construction of the demonstrator is well underway with the first roadworks initiated in October 2024 and commissioning scheduled for the summer of 2025.
In parallel with these technical activities, technical-economic potential analyses, regulatory studies, and environmental assessments are ongoing.
The Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, and the project partners benefit from the support of Sylvain Noureau from Benkei for project coordination and social media communication.
For more information on the projet (in French): https://www.cnr.tm.fr/innovation-2/projet-ophelia/
Follow the project for up-to-date news: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ophelia-projet
Disclaimer: The content of this article reflects only the author’s view and is his sole responsibility.
This project is funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME
