The French Ministry of Energy, Ecology and Sustainable Development has announced a tender for 400 MW of PV plants 250 kW and larger.

France's 2013 minimum PV installation target was lifted in January to 1 GW, up from500 MW. Enfinity

According to a statement released, priority will be given to projects developed on soil degraded sites such as brownfields, in order to avoid conflicts about the usage of farmland. However, both ground-mounted plants and roof projects will be eligible.

The French Ministry has removed the requirement of bank guarantees before submission of the tenders to avoid disadvantaging small- and medium-sized businesses.
Furthermore, the tender will take into account the carbon footprint of the projects and their
contribution to research and development in terms of increasing innovation and employment in France.

The deadline for tender submissions is this September 16. France's cumulative PV capacity at the end of 2012 reached 3.5 GW. The 2013 minimum installation target was lifted in January to 1 GW, up from500 MW last year.