France to Renew Hydropower Concessions

22 April 2010 (Last Updated April 22nd, 2010 18:30)

France said it will begin bidding rounds to renew concessions for ten hydropower stations between 2010 and 2013 opening up the market in a sector so far dominated by former state monopoly EDF. French Energy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo was quoted by Reuters as saying that ten concessions

France said it will begin bidding rounds to renew concessions for ten hydropower stations between 2010 and 2013 opening up the market in a sector so far dominated by former state monopoly EDF.

French Energy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo was quoted by Reuters as saying that ten concessions with a total capacity of 5,300MW will be renewed by 2015.

“The opening of tenders will be made on a case-by-case basis between 2010 and 2013,” Borloo said.

The government intends to award new contracts to operators between 2013 and 2015.

France’s 23,500MW hydropower capacity is currently run by state-owned utility giant EDF and to a much smaller extent by GDF Suez, according to Reuters.