BayWa r.e. has transferred ownership of its 16.8 MWp Castets solar project in southwest France to a local consortium comprising Avergies, a public company focused on renewable energy development, and Terra Energies, a regional energy transition company.
The ready-to-build project has been developed in collaboration with the municipality of Castets and the Côte Landes Nature community since 2019. Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026.
Once commissioned, the solar plant is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 3,800 households annually while avoiding around 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. The project also incorporates several environmental measures, including minimizing its land footprint in ecologically sensitive areas, enhancing biodiversity, and implementing compensatory initiatives to improve local environmental integration.
As part of its community engagement strategy, BayWa r.e. launched a crowdfunding campaign for the Castets project through the Lendosphere platform in 2022. The campaign raised €65,000 from 67 local lenders, enabling residents to directly participate in financing the renewable energy project.
Despite the ownership transfer, BayWa r.e. will continue to play a key role in the project as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and long-term operations service provider, ensuring technical management while supporting continued collaboration with regional and public stakeholders.
“The Castets project demonstrates our ability to develop renewable energy solutions that balance local needs, environmental considerations and long-term value creation. By transferring the project to Avergies and Terra Energies, we are enabling its delivery alongside strong regional partners that share our commitment to advancing renewable energy in France,” said Benoît Roux, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. France.
Dr. Daniel Gäfke, COO of BayWa r.e., added that local partnerships remain a key driver of successful renewable energy projects. He said the transaction highlights how experienced developers, regional investors and public stakeholders can collaborate to deliver clean energy infrastructure while ensuring that project benefits remain closely connected to local communities.
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