Solar panel order to boost EDF Energies Nouvelles

PARIS, April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. firm Nanosolar will supply on a yearly basis EDF Energies Nouvelles (EEN.PA), the renewable energy arm of EDF (EDF.PA), with solar panels with a capacity of at least 100 megawatts (MW), the French firm said on Tuesday. "Under the master supply agreement, EDF Energies Nouvelles will gain access from 2009 onwards to part of Nanosolar's production of solar panels," the company said in a statement.

Nanosolar, a privately-held solar energy company whose backers include Google Inc's (GOOG.O) co-founders, uses a thin-film technology that requires only a fraction of the amount of silicon needed in conventional solar cells.

Tuesday's statement did not specify the financial value for the deal announced, but it said its technology allowed it to make panels for less than $1 per watt.

The French company, which has a gross renewable power capacity of 1,443 MW and 1,100 MW of gross capacity under construction, aims to reach solar power capacity of 400 MW peak by 2011.

It has already signed deals in 2007 with the Canadian company Photowatt and U.S. firm First Solar (FSLR.O) for its supply of solar modules, which contain solar cells. (Reporting by Muriel Boselli, editing by Barbara Lewis)