H2air and Free officially sign their contract to supply wind-generated electricity to the Haute-Marne region of France
Today, at the foot of the wind turbines at the Limodores wind farm in Rochefort-sur-la-Côte in Haute-Marne, Camille Vandenbeuck, Executive Director of H2air, and Nicolas Thomas, Executive Director of Free, formalised the signing of the wind power supply contract announced on 13 May. Hélène Haltz, Mayor of Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, attended the event. For a period of 15 years, the four wind turbines at the park will supply Free with electricity amounting to 19 GWh per year.
A first wind power PPA for Free
As part of its ambitious CSR strategy, Free's parent company, Iliad Group, committed in January 2021 as part of its Climate Plan to support the development of new low-carbon energy capacity in the countries where it operates. France, Italy and Poland.
On 13th May, the Group announced the signing of four new PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) in its three regions, bringing the total number of renewable energy projects in its portfolio to eight.
The Group is pleased to announce that it has signed a 15-year wind farm project with French producer H2air. This project will complement the Group's solar installations and help to better manage production variability. The Limodores wind farm in Haute-Marne will supply the Group with 19 GWh of electricity every year from 1 January 2026. This is equivalent to the annual consumption of 3,520 homes. It is estimated that over the lifetime of the contract, 13,900 tonnes of CO2 will be avoided.
In conjunction with the three other PPAs endorsed by the Group in France, the Limodores project has resulted in a total volume of 96.8 GWh of green electricity being produced in the country for Free's requirements. By 2027, 16% of the Group's energy consumption in France will be covered by APPs.
Nicolas Thomas, Free's Executive Director: "I am delighted to be officially signing this agreement today alongside our partner H2air, Hélène Haltz, Mayor of Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, and our regional Free teams. Our Group is committed to purchasing the electricity produced by four of the wind turbines at this impressive Limodores wind farm for a period of 15 years. I firmly believe that this initiative will result in a triple win, ensuring the security of our energy supply in the long term, reducing our carbon emissions, and strengthening our local community. Congratulations to the teams who worked to finalise this contract."
A wind farm with a strong regional presence
The Limodores wind farm, located in Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, was developed, built and is now operated by H2air. Opening on the 1st of May 2024, this wind farm will blend into the landscape of the Barrois plateau, situated between forests and agricultural clearings. The project is the result of a strong local commitment, backed by local elected representatives since 2010 and supported by seven regional companies during the construction phase.
It is operated by H2air GT, a subsidiary of the H2air group, based in the Grand Est region of France. The wind farm is now in its second year of environmental monitoring, including bat activity recorders, with a view to reconciling energy production with the protection of biodiversity.
Camille Vandenbeuck, Executive Director of H2air: "We are delighted to announce our partnership with Free, as their first wind farm APP in Europe. This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing renewable electricity solutions that contribute to a sustainable energy future. The output from our wind turbines at Les Limodores will help to decarbonise the economy and demonstrate H2air's ability to meet the needs of major operators like the Iliad Group. We are pleased to announce our new partnership, which will see us directly selling electricity to large companies".
