TotalEnergies to build solar, battery storage in New Caledonia

TotalEnergies SE agreed to develop solar and battery storage capacity in New Caledonia under a 25-year power purchase agreement with mining and metallurgy consortium Prony Resources New Caledonia.

Under the agreement, TotalEnergies will install 160 MW of ground-based photovoltaic arrays and 340 MWh of energy battery storage capacity between 2022 and 2025, mostly on property owned by the Grand Sud hydrometallurgical plant in the French territory, according to a Dec. 20 news release.

The project is expected to cover nearly two-thirds of the sites' electricity needs and support Prony Resources New Caledonia's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. The first photovoltaic power plant will have a capacity of 30 MW, with anticipated operations in 2023.