The PV plant in the French commune of Hourtin, located about 50 km northwest of Bordeaux, consists of four sections that have been sold to two buyers. Three parts of the projects with a capacity of 31,8 MWp were sold to the independent solar power producer Sonnedix. The fourth part has been sold to the Allianz Renewable Energy Fund II (AREFII), a closed-end fund of Allianz Global Investors.
With a total capacity of around 41,2 MWp the whole solar park can supply more than 20,000 households with green power. BayWa r.e. completed the construction works in November 2017, and will continue to provide ongoing operation management of the solar park through its locally based operation and maintenance team.
“We are happy to announce that we have successfully sold this project to two major players in the renewable energy sector”, says Benedikt Ortmann, Managing Director at BayWa r.e. Solar Projects GmbH. “The realization of this major project shows once again the capacity of BayWa r.e. to implement large scale solar in France with the highest quality standards.”
"We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with BayWa r.e. by adding these plants to our platform, which expands our operating capacity in France to 189 MW,” said Axel Thiemann, CEO of Sonnedix. “With more than 1.5 GW of controlled capacity to date, adding high quality assets to our portfolio is key to our growth plans as we build, develop and acquire projects in OECD countries around the world.”
“We are delighted to be able to continue our close relationship with BayWa r.e.“, explains Thomas Engelmann, CFA, Head of Transaction Management at Allianz Global Investors. At the beginning of 2017, Allianz Global Investors acquired a solar park portfolio in Great Britain from BayWa.r.e. for the Allianz Renewable Energy Fund II (AREFII) and entrusted it with operational management.
The sale completes a successful year for BayWa r.e. in France. Benoît Roux, Head of Solar Development and Acquisition at BayWa r.e. France SAS, adds: “Renewable energy is meeting an ever increasing amount of France’s energy demand. With nuclear’s share due to reduce from its current 70 percent, to 50 percent by 2035, there are significant opportunities ahead and we are delighted to be playing our part in France’s energy transition.”
Part of the solar park is a nature trail that was built on the compound of the plant after its completion. This trail provides visitors with information on the power plant, on solar energy and its benefits as well as on the flora and fauna in the area. In addition to visitors from the region, the path is also intended for educational purposes by local schools.
Since the area had been used as an industrial forest, the solar park also contributes to the soil regeneration and will enable the development of the biodiversity. The ecological management plan will make a valuable contribution to the preservation of the environment and the recovery of the terrain within the next few decades.
