Boralex has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Auchan Retail France covering the output of wind farms in the Hauts-de-France region for a period of three years.
The PPA starts on 1 January 2021 and is for the output of the Chepy and Nibas wind farms, with a combined output of 16MW.
The pair were commissioned by the Somme department between 2003 and 2004.
They will directly supply Auchan Retail France’s outlets and warehouses in northern France, including the Mers-les-Bains shopping centre less than 20 km away from the wind farms.
Boralex vice president and Europe general manager Nicolas Wolff (pictured) said: “We’re proud of the confidence that Auchan Retail France has in us, which shows that our renewable energy plants promote our territories’ economic strength.
“This contract between two long-standing Hauts-de-France companies is proof that we can bring production closer to consumption, so that the green energy produced by our farms is used every day by French people.”
In 2001 Boralex established its French headquarters in Blendecques, in the Pas-de-Calais region and now manages more than 400MW across the region with a team of 70.
“Our Direction Marches de l’Energie, created in 2019, set a goal of rolling out private power purchase contracts to industrial and commercial customers in the French market.
“This agreement with Auchan Retail France, a well-established, world-renowned distributor, helps us to move closer to that objective,” added Wolff.