However, the firm has no intention to build projects in Ireland, with chief executive Peter McCarthy claiming its overtures to begin nurturing the nonexistent Irish solar market were rebuffed by Energy Minister Eamon Ryan.

Instead it will focus on the continental European market, despite falling feed-in tariff levels in a number of European countries.

IEIG clipped the ribbon at its first 3MW ground-mounted PV array near Avignon, in southern France, on the site of two former launch pads for intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles.

The