Under the agreement, Iberdrola Renouvelables France will build and operate a solar facility that will comprise about 100,000 photovoltaic modules. It will produce nearly 75 gigawatt hours per year, making it one of the largest facilities of its type in Europe when it starts up by the end of 2025.

The majority — 60% — of the green electricity will be supplied to the Tavaux and Saint Fons sites under a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement. 

“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 Solvay CEO Ilham Kadri. “It’s another important step in our Solvay One Planet roadmap as we continue to raise the bar and accelerate progress towards our goal of achieving carbon neutrality.”

The land that Solvay has dedicated for this project includes two rehabilitated settling ponds from its former soda ash plant, located in the Herbitzheim-Willerwald-Sarralbe municipalities in both Bas-Rhin and Moselle in the Grand Est region of France.

The project follows a previous deal struck in Finland, where all electricity for Solvay’s Voikkaa site will be produced by wind power from 2023 onward.

The Belgian chemical company announced in April that it had signed a 10-year utility power purchasing agreement with hydropower company Statkraft to buy electricity produced by the Pajuperankangas wind farm. The arrangement will help to decarbonize hydrogen peroxide at Voikkaa once the wind farm, which will consist of 14 turbines, is connected to the grid in the fall of 2023.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist