Solar panels along highways and railways: a good idea?

The CEO of Vinci Autoroutes, Pierre Coppey, proposed the idea of installing 5,000 hectares of solar panels along his network and the SNCF’s to generate electricity.

There are intentions that, noble and enlightened as they may be, are not without interest. At a time when the renewal of highway concessions to their operators is being considered, an idea was proposed by the CEO of Vinci Autoroutes: covering the sides of roads and railway tracks with photovoltaic panels to produce energy.

Pierre Coppey presented himself at the end of March before the Land Use and Planning Committee at the Senate with detailed arguments. According to him, respectively 1,000 and 4,000 hectares would be suitable on Vinci and SNCF sides for such energy production infrastructure. These 5,000 hectares could, according to his calculations, ensure an annual production of 5 gigawatts… equivalent to five nuclear power plants. All for approximately 5 billion euros… the cost of a single plant.

Who will pay?

The equation is not so straightforward, as photovoltaic production varies greatly during the day between theory and practice. According to many studies, the efficiency of solar panels is lower depending on the average sunlight in France. It would be more realistic to expect an output between 1 and 3 gigawatts annually.

The mentioned 5 billion euros is a cost that Vinci would seem willing to cover largely once its concession is renewed by the French state. In this case, the government would not have to contribute financially to increase electricity production at a time when tensions on the grid are rising. A second question then arises: what will this electricity be used for, and who will benefit from the additional revenue?

As a reminder, Vinci Autoroutes recorded a net profit of 2.2 billion euros in 2022, an increase of 15%.

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