The Roullier Group and Urbasolar are today inaugurating a new solar park at La Dominelais-Les Gressières (Ille-et-Vilaine). Spread over the 4 hectares of a former motocross site, which rules out the possibility of agricultural or forestry reclamation in the medium term, the 9,500 solar panels will have a capacity of 4MWp and produce 5 GWh of green electricity annually.
Actively supported by the elected representatives of the commune and the Bretagne Porte de Loire Communauté, the development of the La Dominelais solar park is the result of a partnership between photovoltaic expert Urbasolar, which is building and operating the plant, and the Roullier Group, a global specialist in plant and animal nutrition and a major player in the agri-food industry, which has committed to supplying the La Dominelais photovoltaic plant for 15 years.
This project takes the form of a long-term direct purchase agreement for renewable electricity, known as a Corporate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), under which a company obtains supplies directly from renewable energy parks. This type of contract is an important lever in the Roullier Group’s energy transition, securing its supply of green electricity at a fixed, competitive price over the long term.
The Roullier Group is improving its energy mix by directly and sustainably sourcing green electricity.
Under the terms of a Corporate PPA signed in 2023, the Roullier Group has committed to a 15-year supply from the La Dominelais photovoltaic power plant. For the exclusive use of the Roullier Group, this solar facility, capable of producing 5 GWh of green energy per year (the equivalent of 2,500 people in electricity), will provide a direct supply covering 5% of the Roullier Group’s annual national energy needs, and will power its 35 French industrial units, in line with its commitment to decarbonize its business on a massive scale.
La Dominelais is one of two Corporate PPAs signed with Urbasolar in 2023 by the Roullier Group. The second concerns a photovoltaic park with a capacity of 5 MWp, located in Montpon-Ménestérol (24). This second PPA will start on January 1, 2025.
La Dominelais solar power plant – Photo Credit: @Urbasolar
“We are very proud of our partnership with Groupe Roullier and of this achievement, which is the first project delivered by the Urbasolar Group in Brittany. The quality of our assets, our expertise and our willingness to work alongside our customers enable us to support them in the sustainable and secure supply of green electricity through Corporate PPA. The Roullier Group’s commitment to this approach, and the trust it has placed in us, reinforces our determination to deploy what we know to be one of the solutions for decarbonizing the French energy mix”, comments Gilles Attolini, CFO of Urbasolar.
Developing new sources of renewable energy is part of the Roullier Group’s ambitious policy to decarbonize its business.
The Roullier Group has set itself the target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% between 2022 and 2040, using a number of levers. For example, it has invested heavily in biomass for heat production at its industrial sites. Nearly 25% of its national energy needs are generated by biomass, and the Roulllier Group is working to reduce the share of natural gas in its energy mix.
Photovoltaic integration will eventually account for 15% of the Group’s electricity supply in France, to which the Corporate PPA contributes. This is a significant part of the Roullier Group’s energy mix, given its activities.
“Rather than simply acquiring green energy through a conventional supplier, which generally does not contribute to the creation of new renewable energy production sites, we have opted for a proactive approach to enriching our energy mix. This is reflected in our support for the development of two solar photovoltaic installations by Urbasolar, a company that stands out in the market for the quality of its work, its particular attention to preserving the site’s biodiversity, and its work to rehabilitate the land at the end of the operating period. It’s a 15-year commitment, but we’re convinced that we’re making a real difference by increasing the share of renewable energies in France,” explains Benoit Jimenez, Director of Sustainable Transformation at Groupe Roullier.
Benoît JIMENEZ, Director of Sustainable Transformation, Roullier Group – Photo credit @Emmanuel PAIN
Respect for biodiversity at the heart of the project
The Urbasolar group is sensitive to the environmental challenges of the sites on which it installs its solar power plants, and has paid particular attention to preserving the flora and fauna and developing the site’s biodiversity.
The construction schedule has been adapted to respect the natural life cycle of the ecosystems present, areas have been avoided so as not to harm the species identified during the preliminary environmental study, and a hedge of local species has been planted to provide a natural refuge for numerous species and ensure the project’s integration into the landscape. In addition, Urbasolar is committed to preserving the ecosystem surrounding the plant site by helping to restore the riparian forest*, in collaboration with the Chère Don Isac Syndicate, and by maintaining the watercourse.
All these actions have enriched the biodiversity of the site and its surroundings.
* Plant formations that develop on the banks of watercourses.
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About the Roullier Group
An independent, family-owned industrial group, the Roullier Group generates consolidated sales of 3 billion euros, thanks to its 10,400 employees, 74% of whom work outside France. Its diversified activities (soil, plant and animal nutrition, agri-food, renewable energies), focused on human needs, demonstrate the open-mindedness of a Group connected to the challenges of the future. With 110 industrial units around the world, the Group is always on the move, making innovation and continuous improvement a daily challenge, and giving its leading activities (TIMAC AGRO, Phosphea, Magnesia, Agrifoods) and its diversification cluster (Plastics, Algology, Renewable Energies) the autonomy and freedom to test and move forward.
Doing things better, doing things differently, exploring what’s possible – that’s the Roullier Group’s way of doing things.