Neoen and SNCF Energie have signed a landmark 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 139 MWp of solar energy, marking a significant step towards sustainable transportation in France.

Under the agreement, SNCF Energie, the green energy supply branch of SNCF Voyageurs, will purchase all electricity produced by Le Couret agrisolar farm in Haute-Vienne, France.

This 139 MWp solar farm, fully owned by Neoen, is set to become the company’s second-largest asset in France and the country’s largest solar park operating under a PPA with SNCF.

The Le Couret project has secured all necessary authorisations and grid connection approvals. Construction is slated to begin in 2026, with commissioning expected in 2028.

Once operational, the electricity generated will be sufficient to power the equivalent of the annual supply for the high-speed Paris-Marseille rail line.

In an innovative approach to land use, the solar farm will combine renewable electricity production with sheep farming.

The 150-hectare site will serve as grazing land for approximately 700 sheep and 1000 lambs, supporting local agriculture while producing green energy.

The project includes facilities such as a farmhouse, hay barn, shearing area, and sheepfold to support farming operations.

Guillaume Decaen, Neoen’s French Development Director, expressed pride in the company’s early adoption of agrisolar concepts, highlighting the project’s dual benefits of supporting local farming and producing low-carbon electricity for train operations.

Olivier Menuet, President of SNCF Energie and Director of Ecology and Energy Transition at SNCF Voyageurs emphasised the agreement’s alignment with SNCF’s long-term commitment to responsible energy procurement.

He noted that this PPA brings SNCF closer to its target of 20 PPAs, totalling 1.1 TWh of renewably sourced electricity.

Richard Fécamp, General Manager of SNCF Energie at SNCF Voyageurs, highlighted the significance of the contract, citing its scale as potentially the largest solar park under PPA to date.

Xavier Barbaro, Neoen’s Chairman and CEO, underscored the company’s growing role in decarbonizing the transport sector, having signed over 2 GW of PPAs worldwide with major industry players. He reaffirmed Neoen’s commitment to being a preferred partner for companies seeking sustainable energy solutions globally.

This collaboration between Neoen and SNCF Energie represents a significant advancement in France’s renewable energy landscape, combining sustainable transportation, agriculture, and solar power generation in a single, innovative project.