As part of the decarbonization of its energy mix, ADP Group, the construction and production group Urbasolar and the electricity supplier GazelEnergie signed a long-term contract in 2020 for the direct procurement of renewable electricity: a corporate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) through which a consumer business receives its electricity supply direct from renewable energy sources.
This contract will involve the creation of three new solar energy plants in France to meet the needs of ADP Group: these will be located in the Gard, Var and Charente départements.
With an expected annual output of 47 GWh of green energy over a period of 21 years, this direct electricity supply contract, the first signed by an airport operator, represents 10% of the electricity needed to run the three Paris airports annually, or nearly 75% of the energy needed to power their lighting systems.
The power plant in Caveirac (Gard), being inaugurated today, is the first of the three ADP Group plants to be commissioned.
ADP Group’s long-term financing has resulted in the construction of new renewable energy production infrastructure in France and thereby has a real, direct and sustainable effect on transitioning France’s energy mix. This type of contract is an important lever for implementing the energy transition, and for securing the supply of green electricity to meet the needs of our company at a fixed and competitive price over the long term.
ADP Group is therefore amongst the first French companies to source its electricity from solar energy plants which have been specifically built in France for its own requirements.
CAVEIRAC: THE FIRST OF THREE NEW SOLAR ENERGY PLANTS TO BE COMMISSIONED
In the context of this contract, Urbasolar will construct three new solar energy plants and the electricity produced by them will be sold in its entirety to ADP Group.
The 6 MWp plant in Caveirac was commissioned in September 2022.
An 8 MWp plant will next be constructed in Bras (Var) and a 22 MWp plant in Villognon (Charente). These plants will be commissioned in 2023 and 2024.
ADP GROUP IS FULLY COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
ADP Group is continuing with its own ambitious energy transition policy in order to reach net zero internal emissions by 2030 at the Paris Orly and Paris Le Bourget airports, and by 2035 at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
Numerous energy decarbonization activities at our Paris airports have already begun:
- Electricity: 100% of the group’s electricity consumption now comes from renewables, with guarantees of origin, of which 10% will shortly be sourced from solar energy plants built specifically to meet the needs of the ADP Group.
- Heating: a deep geothermal system has been deployed at Paris Orly, a biomass system at Paris Charles de Gaulle and a heat-pump at Paris Le Bourget.
As for the future, in 2025 our airport at Le Bourget will be connected to a biothermal supply, followed by Charles de Gaulle airport in 2026, whilst heat-pumps will be deployed to reinforce the system used at Orly by the end of 2024.
CPPA: A MAJOR FOCUS FOR DEVELOPMENT AT URBASOLAR
Over the last 15 years, Urbasolar has made its name in the solar energy sector thanks to our technical expertise, the quality of our construction and the environmental excellence of our projects.
Today, the group is expanding its offering by proposing PPAs for the direct supply of green electricity from its own solar energy plants, supplying consumers in the industrial, transport, construction and agri-food sectors.
Urbasolar has signed numerous PPA contracts over the last few months with businesses wishing to be supplied with increasingly low-carbon energy over the long-term in France and abroad.
GAZELENERGIE: LEADER IN THE AGGREGATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
GazelEnergie has been able to create a specific service and act as aggregator by including renewable electricity in the ADP Group’s consumption mix. Capitalizing on over 20 years’ experience as an electricity supplier to major customers, through tailored offers, GazelEnergie is the leader in the aggregation of renewable energy supplies. This means that GazelEnergie can build on its strategy as a business committed to the energy transition, working in the interests of its customers, providing guarantees of origin and guarantees of supply capacity.
Augustin de Romanet, CEO of ADP Group: « In terms of decarbonization, ADP Group has today taken a decisive and ethical step forward with the inauguration of its first solar energy plant, which will meet our requirements for green electricity over the next 21 years. With this contract, we are contributing in a decisive manner to creating additional solar energy capacity in France, which will help towards transitioning the French energy mix, whilst helping to decarbonize our company and make it more energy efficient. »
Antoine Millioud, CEO of Urbasolar: « The contract signed between ADP Group and Urbasolar will provide 47 GWh of green energy, the equivalent of 10% of the electricity needed to run our three Paris airports, or more than half of what we need to run our lighting systems.
Urbasolar is proud that such a partnership can take some of the burden away from public support mechanisms without any cost or risk to public finances and participate in the decarbonization of our transport infrastructure.”
Photo credit: Urbasolar