GDF Suez to add to French solar power capacity

French energy company GDF Suez said Tuesday it secured contracts to develop 10 solar power projects that would add 53 megawatts of power to the French grid.

GDF Suez, through its subsidiaries, said it was selected to build 10 solar photovoltaic panel installations on car park shelters in the country.

The 10 projects combined will generated 53.35 megawatts of power at peak capacity and help meet the company's goal of sourcing 200 MW of power from solar installations by 2016.

To date, the company said it had 149 MW of photovoltaic panels in operation, under construction or in the advanced planning stages in France.

Construction of the panels is set to begin in late 2014. They'll be in service by early 2016 at the latest.

Solar power is expected to make up about one quarter of the renewable energy footprint in the French grid by 2020 according to a national energy plan.

No value for the GDF Suez contract was given.