EDF Renewables has launched its first floating solar array in France, a 20MW project to be built on the Lazer hydroelectric reservoir in the Alps.

The plant is slated to cover an area of 24.5 hectares, or two thirds of the reservoir’s surface, and is scheduled to be commissioned in the spring of next year.

“Thanks to this innovative technology, the same water reservoir will produce hydro- and solar power: combining these two renewable energies constitutes an additional asset to contribute towards the renewables development targets set by the government,” said Nicolas Couderc, the head of EDF Renewables in France.