The Zonza is a key infrastructure asset in France's power generation grid, located on the continent of Europe. Designated as a renewable electricity generation station, the facility features an installed capacity of 3.53502 MW. Its primary operation relies on harnessing solar energy resources to generate bulk electricity. Operational management and ownership of the facility are handled by the TotalEnergies, which oversees daily maintenance and grid dispatch integration. An exact commissioning date for the installation is not registered in official historical logs. In terms of domestic production capacity within France, Zonza occupies the #368 position among all operational solar power plants. Its 3.53502 MW capacity represents a 0.07% share of France's total installed solar generating capacity, which currently stands at 5,029 MW. The largest operational solar installation in France is the Cestas with an output of 301 MW, making the Zonza approximately 85.3 times smaller by comparison. Across all fuel types and electricity generation technologies country-wide, this facility accounts for 0.0015% of France's aggregate generation capacity of 243,444 MW. Based on historical capacity factors characteristic of solar power plants (modeled at 18% for analysis), the facility's expected annual electricity generation is calculated at approximately 5,574 MWh. Applying domestic consumption statistics where an average household in France consumes 4 MWh of electricity annually, this level of production is sufficient to meet the energy demands of roughly 1,394 homes. As a clean and sustainable energy project, Zonza contributes to the direct displacement of greenhouse gases, preventing substantial quantities of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and helping France advance toward its renewable energy integration targets. The physical site of the station is located at geographic coordinates 41.7213° latitude and 9.2666° longitude. Analysis of local grid infrastructure shows a density of other assets within a 50-kilometer radius. These nearby facilities include the Ocana (hydroelectric, 42.5 MW), the Lugo Di Nazza (hydroelectric, 39 MW), the Aghione 3 (solar, 12 MW), representing a cluster of localized power assets. This geographic placement is vital for reinforcing regional distribution infrastructure and minimizing transmission line losses across this sector of France.
France, Europe
Location
Zero Direct Emissions
Zonza is a solar power plant producing approximately 6 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.
Lifecycle emissions: ~41 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)
Technical Details
- Primary Fuel Type
- Solar
- Energy Source
- Renewable
- Country
France- Continent
- Europe
- Data Source
- Global Power Plant Database
Nearby Power Plants
An Overview of Solar Power Generation as a Sustainable Energy Source
Solar power generation harnesses the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells or solar thermal systems to produce electricity. The basic principle of solar power generation involves converting sunlight into usable energy. When sunlight hits a PV cell, it excites electrons in the semiconductor material, generating an electric current. This process is known as the photovoltaic effect. Solar thermal systems, on the other hand, use sunlight to heat a fluid that, in turn, produces steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity. Both methods provide a clean and renewable energy source that is gaining significant traction worldwide.
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