Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, today announces the start of construction works at the French solar power plants of Canadel (10.4 MW) and Castellet 2 (3.8 MW) located in the southern-France region of Var.

Awarded during the CRE III tender in December 20151, these projects are both located in the sunniest region of France. The Canadel plant will be located in Brignoles and the second plant, called Castellet II, will be adjacent to the first plant of the same name commissioned by Voltalia in July 2013, following the CRE I call for tender (2012).

Each benefitting from a 20-year power sale agreement, the plants should be commissioned by year-end 2017, in accordance with the terms of the call for tender.

Voltalia has chosen to equip these sites with SunPower high performance E-Series solar panels which are among the most efficient on the market. SunPower, a majority-owned subsidiary of Total SA, will produce the majority of the solar panels in its French facilities.

Following the announcement in January of the construction of a solar plant in addition to the current hydro and thermal infrastructures at Oiapoque (Brazil), the installation of a second plant at the Castellet site in France underlines the Group's ability to optimize its installations in order to generate additional value for the high-quality sites it selects.