SNCF Energie, a division of SNCF Voyageurs, announced that in July it signed four long-term corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Neoen, France’s leading independent renewable electricity producer. Starting January 1, 2026, Neoen will supply SNCF Voyageurs with 137 GWh of renewable electricity per year, generated by four of its solar power plants with a combined capacity of 111 MWp. The agreements span 20 to 25 years.
These long-term contracts provide Neoen with stable revenue to operate its plants and support company growth, while allowing SNCF Voyageurs to protect itself from fluctuations in wholesale electricity prices. The four solar parks involved are Romilly (42 MWp, Grand-Est), Loirécopark (39 MWp, Sarthe), Champblanc (15 MWp, Charente), and Labouheyre (14 MWp, Landes). Collectively, these facilities will generate enough electricity to meet SNCF Voyageurs’ annual needs, powering approximately 11,000 high-speed train trips between Paris and Bordeaux each year.
Guillaume Decaen, CEO of Neoen France, stated, “We extend our thanks to SNCF Energie for their continued support. We are proud to supply the French railways with competitive, local, green electricity generated by our solar farms. These projects, developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, are a clear illustration of the role played by local regions in the nation’s energy transition.”
Xavier Barbaro, Group CEO of Neoen, mentioned, “I would like to congratulate our team on this achievement. It is the high quality of our projects and our ability to deliver them which enable us to develop and nurture long-term relationships with our customers. Supporting major industrial players as they decarbonise their operations lies at the heart of our strategy, and our ambition is to become their partner of choice, in France and around the world.”
Olivier Menuet, President of SNCF Energie and Director of the Ecology and Energy Transition at SNCF Voyageurs, also added, “Our partnership with Neoen began in 2024 with the Couret solar park PPA, an annual volume of 180 GWh, and continues with these four new agreements. When all the parks are operational, the electricity generated by renewable sources will amount to over 300 GWh per annum, which equates to 29% of SNCF Energie’s renewable electricity procurement under PPAs. This is a first in France, we are proud to say!”
Richard Fécamp, General Manager of SNCF Energie at SNCF Voyageurs, commented, “A huge thank you to the SNCF Energie and Neoen negotiation teams for their work over the 8 months leading up to the signature of these four agreements. It’s a big step towards reaching SNCF Voyageurs’ green sourcing target!”
SNCF Voyageurs, already an energy-efficient passenger transport operator, continues to pursue an ambitious energy transition. The company carries 11% of France’s passengers while contributing less than 1% of the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. These agreements bring SNCF Voyageurs closer to its goal of running trains on 40-50% renewable electricity by 2027-2028, with 20% supplied through corporate PPAs, aligning with the expectations of French transport authorities.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
