Railway group SNCF taps Neoen for 139 MWp of solar in France

French renewables firm Neoen SA (EPA:NEOEN) has secured the future output of a 139-MWp solar park at home under a long-term deal with a unit of state-owned railway group SNCF Voyageurs.

The power purchase agreement (PPA) with SNCF Energie will provide the railway operator with green electricity for its trains for 25 years, Neoen said on Monday.

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The contract will facilitate the construction of the Le Couret agrivoltaic park in the Haute-Vienne department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which is planned to be installed on 150 ha of sheep grazing land. The project is already permitted and with a grid-connection contract in place, with its construction expected to commence in 2026. The solar park, Neoen’s second largest asset in France, is planned to go online in 2028.

SNCF Energie has committed to buying the photovoltaic (PV) farm’s entire generation and related guarantees of origin, backing its goal of contracting 1.1 TWh of renewable power by 2028.

Le Couret’s output is expected to be enough to cover the annual electricity demand of the high-speed Paris-Marseille railway line.