BayWa r.e. has successfully sold a portfolio of French solar projects totaling 127 MWp. The portfolio includes the commissioned photovoltaic (PV) projects Greenberry (40 MWp) and Fontenet 3 (40 MWp), which were sold to Octopus Energy’s generation arm, as well as the Amance project (47 MWp), currently under construction, which was sold to Commerz Real, a leading European asset manager.
These transactions are part of BayWa r.e.’s ongoing success in selling wind, solar, and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, totaling 1.5 GW worldwide in 2024 alone. These projects span key regions in Europe, the Americas, and APAC, underscoring the company’s commitment to advancing the global energy transition.
The Greenberry and Fontenet 3 projects are particularly notable for their repurposing of former military land into a solar energy hub. Located on two former military bases in Central and South-West France, these solar farms not only generate green electricity but are also designed for sheep farming. Together with the Blueberry, Fontenet 1, and Fontenet 2 solar parks, they form a major energy hub consisting of over 300,000 solar panels and a total capacity of 136 MWp spread across 151 hectares. BayWa r.e. will continue to manage the technical operations of these two solar parks.
Daniel Gäfke, COO of BayWa r.e., commented on the sales: “The fact that we closed these standout projects in France is a strong display of our drive and capability to realise our portfolio in our key markets. We are proud to deliver such high-quality renewable energy projects, which are not only exciting developments with innovative features, but also economically attractive assets for our partners. With over 1.5 GW of projects sold globally during 2024 until today, we are well on track to fulfil our commitment to playing a leading role in driving the global energy transition forward.”
Benoit Roux, Managing Director of BayWa r.e. France, added: “We are delighted to announce these successful transactions, which are a major milestone for the energy transition in these regions and the culmination of the dedication and hard work of the team since the development, financing, and construction of these projects. We’ve been active in France for 20 years, and the country has huge potential. It is and remains a core market for BayWa r.e. and we are committed to implement our pipeline there and realise inspiring projects like these.”
The Amance solar park is being built on 42 hectares of land with poor soil quality, previously used for intensive agriculture that led to continuous yield degradation. This project will revitalize the land, enhancing environmental protection and biodiversity, and will also allow for sustainable agricultural use through sheep grazing. BayWa r.e. will remain responsible for the technical and commercial operations of this solar farm.
