Rennes (AFP)
The departmental council of Orne, which was established in 2016 a "solar road" one kilometer long on a departmental, said Wednesday to AFP that it was a "failure" in terms of energy production.
"Over time, we realized that on an economic, financial, in terms of electricity production, it was a failure," said Alain Pelleray, chief of staff of the chairman of the departmental council.
According to him, from December 2016 to March 2019, there was a production of 229 MWh, while the projected output was 642 MWh. "In concrete terms, we expected to recover, from 2017 to early 2019, 22,000 euros and we recovered 8,000 for the sale of electricity to EDF," he added.
In December 2016, Ségolène Royal, then Minister of the Environment, inaugurated in front of many cameras the first solar road in the world in Tourouvre, village of 1,500 inhabitants in the Perche, financed by the State (5 million euros before tax ). Ms. Royal also announced a national roll-out of this technology.
However, the glued solar panels, on which the cars drive, "made noise" and were subject to "rapid wear", which resulted in a speed limit of 70 km / h on the road, explained M Pelleray.
Thus, the road "will be deconstructed" by the end of the year and the company Colas (subsidiary of the Bouygues group) will hand over "new generation panels which, it seems, must operate in better conditions", this time on a small portion, 400 m long.
"We have no regrets, the department has not incurred any expenses and we are in applied research, and in terms of reputation, it is bingo, we have Koreans, Chinese who come, tourists and industrialists. ", pleaded Mr. Pelleray.
Following an article in Le Monde dated July 23rd that describes the road as a "fiasco", Ségolène Royal defended herself on twitter. "Encourage companies that innovate with courage rather than denigrate them.As with all inventions, you need a prototype that is made to test and to find improvements.While solar parking works well." Talk about all the successes ", wrote Mrs. Royal.
Asked by AFP, Etienne Gaudin, Colas manager of this project called Wattway, acknowledged that "the first version of 2016 did not have a satisfactory life to withstand traffic corresponding to that of a departmental" .
"We have changed the technology and we think we have solved these concerns: that's why we want to resume the site with the latest versions because we think we have made real progress," he said. -he adds.
The County Council also unanimously voted a participation of 100,000 euros for the installation in Tourouvre of a sort of outdoor exhibition site devoted to solar energy (illuminated pedestrian crossing, autonomous bus shelter ...) .
© 2019 AFP