Alliance Group Seals PPA for Vigeant Solar Park

In a significant move to secure long-term renewable energy, the Alliance Group, a coalition of French agri-food SMEs, has finalized a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy producer Valorem. The agreement guarantees the group electricity from the forthcoming Vigeant agrivoltaic park located in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

The Vigeant facility represents an innovative approach to land use, combining solar power generation with agricultural activity. Situated on land owned by Sodem, a sheep and goat meat slaughterhouse, the park will also function as a sheep pasture. Once operational, the park is projected to generate approximately 12.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of green electricity annually. This will supply 15% of the Alliance Group’s total energy needs, providing a stable, fixed-price power source crucial for its energy-intensive refrigeration operations, as media outlets have reported.

Valorem pursued a corporate PPA after the project’s location on agricultural land made it ineligible for standard CRE (Energy Regulatory Commission) tenders. The connection between the two parties was facilitated by Volterres, a CSR platform specializing in sustainable energy transactions. Virginie Vivalda, PPA market manager at Volterres, noted that this deal reflects a growing trend of mid-sized businesses seeking direct access to green energy solutions and PPAs. Valorem has a strong track record, having financed over 865 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy installations since 1994 and currently holds a development portfolio of 6.15 gigawatts (GW).

This French PPA is one of several large-scale solar projects in Valorem’s European pipeline. The company is also expanding its footprint in Finland, having signed a land lease agreement with the Kärkölä municipality for a new 60 MW solar power plant. The project will be developed on an 80-95 hectare site that includes a former wastewater treatment plant.

Minna Jukola, Valorem’s country manager for Finland, highlighted the project’s strategic value. “Our goal is to become a solar power producer soon, and the project is well-positioned in southern Finland, where electricity demand is high and solar radiation values are favorable,” she stated. The Kärkölä plant’s planned annual output of over 40 GWh is expected to meet the electricity needs of approximately 2,000 electrically heated homes. Permitting is anticipated to begin in 2025, following environmental assessments this year.

Sources Related to Alliance Group Seals PPA for Vigeant Solar Park

1. Valorem’s PPA and Land Deal for European Solar Projects – List.Solar
2. Valorem Selects Alliance Group for PPA on Vigeant Photovoltaic Park
3. Alliance group Archives – SolarQuarter
4. Solar Power Purchase Agreement For French Agrivoltaic Project
5. Procurement News Notice – 67769 – BidDetail
6. [PDF] March 14, 2024 df/ta/rp ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY 10:00 … – C G A