SNCF Energie has signed four long-term solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) with French renewable energy producer Neoen, covering a combined capacity of 111 megawatts-peak (MWp), the companies said on Wednesday.
The agreements, signed in July and lasting between 20 and 25 years, will see Neoen supply 137 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of solar-generated electricity annually to SNCF Voyageurs starting from January 2026. The output is equivalent to the energy consumption of 11,000 high-speed train trips between Paris and Bordeaux each year, according to the companies.
The solar parks included in the contracts are the 42MWp Romilly facility in Grand-Est, 39MWp Loirécopark in Sarthe, 15MWp Champblanc in Charente, and 14MWp Labouheyre in Landes.
“We are proud to supply the French railways with competitive, local, green electricity generated by our solar farms,” said Guillaume Decaen, CEO of Neoen France. “These projects, developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, are a clear illustration of the role played by local regions in the nation’s energy transition.”
Neoen’s group CEO Xavier Barbaro said the deals reflect the company’s strategy to support large industrial clients in their decarbonisation efforts. “Our ambition is to become their partner of choice, in France and around the world,” he added.
SNCF Voyageurs aims to power 40–50% of its train operations with renewable electricity by 2027–2028, with corporate PPAs expected to account for around 20% of that target.
“When all the parks are operational, the electricity generated by renewable sources will amount to over 300GWh per annum, which equates to 29% of SNCF Energie’s renewable electricity procurement under PPAs. This is a first in France, we are proud to say,” said Olivier Menuet, president of SNCF Energie and director of ecology and energy transition at SNCF Voyageurs.
Richard Fécamp, general manager of SNCF Energie, called the agreements “a big step towards reaching SNCF Voyageurs’ green sourcing target.
