Orange France announced today that it has signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with leading onshore wind power producer Boralex. This is the first large-scale renewable power purchase agreement signed by Orange in France.

Under the terms of the 5-year agreement, Boralex will supply Orange with 67 GWh/year of renewable electricity generated by the 26 wind turbines at the Ally-Mercoeur wind farm in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, beginning January 1, 2021. The agreement will cover all the electricity produced by the wind farm, which has an installed capacity of 39 MW.

Orange stated that the agreement illustrates its ambitions for the energy management and sustainability of its networks as the volume of data transmissions continues to grow. In December 2019, Orange presented its new strategic plan, Engage 2025, which included significant sustainability commitments, including a target to reach with a net zero carbon footprint by 2040, despite the increase in network data transmissions.

Reaching the commitments outlined in Engage 2025 will require a significant increase in the use of renewable power, which Orange estimates will reach 50% of the company’s power usage by 2025.

The agreement marks a significant step for Boralex towards the goals set out in its own strategic plan, which includes the sale of green power to electricity-consuming businesses. The agreement signed with Orange is Boralex’s first with a CAC40 company.

Fabienne Dulac, Deputy CEO of Orange S.A. and CEO of Orange France, said:

“Orange France has set an ambitious target of being net zero carbon by 2040 and has made improving the energy performance of its networks a major focus of its Engage 2025 strategic plan. In recent months, at a time when the networks have been more crucial and in greater demand than ever, I am particularly proud of this agreement, which illustrates our commitment as one of the economic players paving the way in France on PPAs and thus contributing to our country’s energy transition.”

Nicolas Wolff, Vice-President and General Manager of Boralex, Europe, said:

“Our objective was to develop a partnership approach with Orange, one that would create value for both our groups. That is what we have done. We are pleased to see the name Boralex associated with Orange France. This Corporate PPA demonstrates our ability to bring real solutions to companies envisioning their Energy Transition.”