Renewable energy developer Voltalia will build a 5-hectare photovoltaic park at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
The park will have a capacity to generate 4.2MW of solar energy. It is expected to be operational by June 2023. The Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, which owns the Guiana Space Centre land, will finance the construction of the park.
The construction of the facility will cost EUR 5 million and benefit from the French Recovery Plan. The project is part of the Kourou space base’s green program, which includes two photovoltaic farms and two biomass plants.
These plants will provide green electricity and cooling for the space center. The green program aims for 90% renewable energy to power the Guiana Space Center. It will help reduce its reliance on the Guiana EDF network and reduce its electricity bill by 25%.
The Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe's spaceport, has been operational since 1968 and is funded by the 22 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA). Located in French Guiana, CSG is the launch pad for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega rockets.
The energy transition plan for the Guiana Space Center also includes the renovation and construction of more energy efficient buildings and the use of green propellants for launchers.
