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Iberdrola and Solvay are partnering in a new project to supply green electricity to Solvay's plants in Tavaux and Saint Fons (France). Under the agreement, a 172-hectare site will be used to build a photovoltaic power plant, part of whose output will be purchased by Solvay for its industrial plants through a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement. 

The solar installation, which will be built and operated by Iberdrola Renouvelables France, will occupy 77 hectares and will have around 100,000 photovoltaic modules. The rest of the available area will be dedicated to preservation measures to ensure the full integration of the project into its surroundings. The plant will produce almost 75 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/year), making it one of the largest in Europe. Sixty per cent of the green electricity produced will go to Solvay's industrial sites in Tavaux and Saint Fons (France).

Iberdrola offers itself as a strategic partner to corporations and companies through tailor-made clean energy solutions that enable them to meet their climate targets and secure their energy supply. Given this scenario, the ETaaS (Energy Transition as a Service) concept arises, which encompasses all those energy services that will help companies reduce their carbon footprint. In this case, both the solar photovoltaic installation and the corporate PPA are part of the "Energy Transition as a Service" product portfolio. 

"We are delighted to partner with Iberdrola on this clean energy project that will significantly reduce the energy footprint of our Specialty Polymers and Aroma businesses in France," said Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay. "It is another important step in our Solvay One Planet roadmap as we continue to raise our climate ambitions and accelerate the achievement of our ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality."

Ignacio Galán, Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola, said: "The creation of cross-sector partnerships to carry out new clean energy projects remains an important pillar of Iberdrola's global strategy, based on electrification through renewables, grids and storage. Companies are taking a leading role in the energy transition and this major new solar project will bring significant environmental and economic benefits. We look forward to working with Solvay and are confident that our relationship will continue to grow in the coming years."

The land which Solvay has earmarked for this project includes two rehabilitated settling ponds from its former soda ash plant in the communes of Herbitzheim-Willerwald-Sarralbe in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle in the Grand Est region of France. The fact that this scheme gives a second industrial life to brownfield sites for the generation of renewable energy is also important, as it accelerates the ecological transformation of the economy.

The project will also contribute positively to the development of the local economy and boost employment in the area, as the industrial supplies for the construction will include a significant local component. Local jobs will be created during the construction and operation phases. The plant is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025.