Octopus Energy Generation and BayWa r.e. have signed two corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) with SNCF Energie to supply solar-generated electricity to France’s national rail operator, SNCF Voyageurs, the companies said.
The agreements mark the first such deals in France for both Octopus and BayWa’s renewables division. Electricity from the Greenberry and Fontenet 3 solar farms, located on former military sites in central and southwest France, will be used to power SNCF’s high-speed train network, contributing to its decarbonisation goals.
Together, the two sites are expected to generate more than 100 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually — totalling 2.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) over the 25-year duration of the agreements. That output is equivalent to powering approximately 15,500 TGV trips from Paris to Rennes each year.
“This is a huge leap forward for SNCF’s ambition to decarbonise and expand rail transport,” said Richard Fécamp, managing director of SNCF Energie.
“As one of France’s largest energy consumers, we aim to source between 40% and 50% of the electricity consumed by our trains from renewables by 2030, including 20% from PPAs. The Fontenet 3 and Greenberry PPAs represent significant progress in our commitment to clean energy transformation.”
The solar farms were developed and constructed by BayWa r.e. and later acquired through Octopus Energy’s Sky fund. BayWa r.e. will continue to provide technical management of the assets.
“Completing the negotiation of these two PPAs in just three months – from kick-off to signature – underscores what a perfect match this collaboration is,” said Daniel Gaefke, chief operations officer at BayWa r.e. “We’re proud to support SNCF’s green rail ambitions by providing expert technical management to Octopus’ assets.”
Octopus Energy, which is expanding its presence in France, now manages over 500 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind assets in the country and supplies energy to more than 600,000 homes through its retail arm.
“Travelling by train is already one of the cleanest ways to get around, and we’re proud to help put SNCF’s trains on an even greener track,” said Alex Brierly, co-head of Octopus Energy Generation.
The deals are part of SNCF Voyageurs’ broader strategy to source 20% of its electricity through CPPAs and reach up to 50% renewable energy use by 2030.
