French telecoms operator Free has signed its first wind power purchase agreement, securing 19GWh of renewable electricity per year from the Limodores wind farm in Haute-Marne for the next 15 years.
The deal, finalised today at the foot of the turbines in Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, will see energy from four of the project’s turbines sold directly to Free by developer and operator H2air, starting 1 January 2026.
“This type of project is a triple win for us: securing our long-term energy supply, reducing our carbon emissions and further strengthening our regional presence,” said Nicolas Thomas, CEO of Free.
The agreement will cover the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 3,520 households and is expected to avoid 13,900 tonnes of CO₂ emissions over its lifetime.
The wind PPA is part of the iliad Group’s broader Climate Plan launched in 2021, which aims to grow low-carbon energy capacity in France, Italy and Poland.
With the addition of the Limodores project, Free’s French PPA-backed energy now totals 96.8GWh per year. The company said these deals will cover 16% of its total electricity demand in France by 2027.
H2air executive director Camille Vanderbeuck said: “We’re very proud to be supplying Free with renewable energy under its very first wind PPA in Europe. This agreement demonstrates H2air’s ability to meet the needs of large operators like the iliad Group.”
The 2024-commissioned Limodores wind farm was developed by H2air with strong support from local authorities and businesses. Environmental monitoring at the site includes two years of bat activity observation to balance electricity generation with biodiversity protection.