The corporate PPA was signed between the company’s French business, Q Energy France and Les Mousquetaires on 4th April. It will provide 33 GWh of renewable electricity annually and will thus cover 1.3% of the total annual energy needs of the retail Group, which include more than 3000 points of sale in France, such as Intermarché and Netto supermarkets, DIY superstores and motoring services, logistic bases, and production units.
Named Chaume Solar, the ground-mounted solar plant is currently under construction by Q Energy in the Sarthe region in France, more specifically at the villages of Saint-Pierre-de-Chevillé and Dissay-sous-Courcillon. The plant, to be commissioned early 2024, will avoid the emission of the equivalent of 9,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
A project combining solar photovoltaic energy and agricultural needs
Q Energy France is committed to ensuring that this solar PV project will create synergies with local farmers. Two partnerships are being developed to allow farmers to use part of the land to develop grazing and beekeeping activities.
Les Mousquetaires driving the energy transition
The Les Mousquetaires Group is leading an energy transition based on improving its energy performance, controlling costs, increasing the proportion of self-consumption in its supply, and participating in the development of new forms of transport.
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"This partnership supports our roadmap to achieve our energy objectives such as reducing our costs, risk management at our points of sale and our desire to be an active player in the energy transition. This PPA means we can diversify our tools and methods. This is an approach that goes hand in hand with other actions we carry out, such as the global management and securing of our supplies through a better energy mix," says Bruno Breyne, Mousquetaires store Director in charge of the Energy Department of Les Mousquetaires Group.
Get our free download: Solar power for farmers and by farmers
"We are proud to be sustainably committed to the energy transition alongside Les Mousquetaires, by building new solar capacities independent of the French Energy Regulatory Commission solar tenders. This agreement again demonstrates the attractiveness and competitiveness of solar energy in France. With the agricultural activity associated with the project, we are also pursuing our desire to be a committed partner in the local community" adds Ludovic Ferrer, Commercial Director of Q Energy France. (hcn)
