SNCF Energie, a subsidiary of SNCF Voyageurs, and Voltalia, an international player in renewable energy, have signed a new long-term electricity sales contract for the entire output of a 37.4-megawatt wind farm.
The CPPA will see SNCF Energie acquire the entire production from the Rives Charentaises wind farm, which is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France.
The wind farm, which consists of 17 wind turbines, is expected to have an annual production of around 78 gigawatt-hours. This will account for 1.4% of SNCF Voyageurs' traction electricity consumption. SNCF Voyageurs aims to have 1,100 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity from CPPAs by 2027-2028, representing 20% of its electrical needs for train traction.
The CPPA has a term of 20 years and will start in the first half of 2024. It is part of SNCF Voyageurs' ambition to achieve 40 to 50% renewable energy sources in its electricity consumption mix for train traction by 2026.
This is not the first collaboration between SNCF Energie and Voltalia. In 2019, the two companies signed a first large-scale renewable electricity direct purchase agreement, covering a capacity of 143 megawatts for a duration of 25 years.
Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, said: "The signing of this new CPPA reflects the determination of SNCF Voyageurs and Voltalia to pursue an ambitious and proactive common policy regarding the consumption and production of responsible energy. Voltalia is thus assisting its partners in meeting their decarbonisation and low-carbon impact commitments.
“SNCF Voyageurs and Voltalia share common values by placing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the heart of their strategies and publicly affirming their Purpose: 'Acting for a moving, united, and sustainable society' for SNCF, and 'Improving global environment, fostering local development' for Voltalia."
Richard Fécamp, CEO of SNCF Energie, said: "This wind CPPA brings real diversification to SNCF Voyageurs' renewable electricity sourcing program. Its negotiation relied on the shared experience of the SNCF Energie and Voltalia teams developed during previous contracts. The decarbonisation is significant, with a carbon content of 14 grams of CO2eq per kilowatt-hour, and the wind production profile complements the profile of the photovoltaic power plants. We are all very proud of this achievement in a challenging economic context for renewable energy production."
Photo Credit: istock
