France's Voltalia signs 16 MW solar PPA with retailer Decathlon

London — Voltalia has signed a 16 MW solar-based corporate power purchase agreement with retailer Decathlon France, the French renewable energy company said Nov. 3.

No price was put on the deal. French solar PPA prices quoted by platform LevelTen for Q3 2020 (25th percentile) were seen at Eur45/MWh ($58.35/MWh), up from Eur44.56/MWh in Q2.

The contract relates to a Voltalia solar farm project in southeast France, to be commissioned in 2023. Production is estimated at 26 GWh/year, around 15% of Decathalon's annual French power consumption.

"Developing renewable energy is one of Decathlon's major strategies for reducing our carbon impact. This first PPA open up new horizons for our whole group," said the company's sustainable development manager Pierre Fahy.

The PPA follows other initiatives in France, Belgium and Spain between Decathlon and Voltalia subsidiary Helexia, which specializes in solar rooftops and energy efficiency.

In 2008, Decathlon signed up to the international scheme RE100, promising to use 100% renewable electricity by 2026. The commitment includes all the sport shop's retail and logistic sites worldwide.

It has already reached 100% renewables in France via the purchase of Guarantees of Origin, it said.

Meanwhile 10 of its French stores have now been fitted with shade structures on car parks and solar rooftops designed by Helexia. It targets 80 Decathlon sites with such facilities by 2026. In all the company has over 1,600 sites worldwide.