Following Air France's announcement of a massive order for sustainable aviation fuel, another major player in French business travel, the SNCF, is now unveiling a key investment in responsible energy. The rail company has signed an agreement with Reden its biggest ever contract for the supply of renewable electricity. Covering the production of 207 GWh per year over a period of a quarter of a century, this direct purchase contract with this French renewable energy player is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
As part of its energy transition strategy - the current setbacks at France's nuclear power stations no doubt also reinforce the need for this - the SNCF, France's biggest electricity consumer, is aiming to achieve the following targets 40% to 50% of renewable energies to power its trains by 2026.
The contract with Reden covers electricity generated by photovoltaic panels. This will require the creation of four power stations - Reden stresses that it will only develop its solutions on degraded or little-used land, to enable it to be rehabilitated. What's more, these plants will be based on modules produced in France, whose carbon footprint is half that of products from Asia.
" Through this contract, we are proud to be contributing to the creation of additional solar capacity in France, which will benefit the transition of the French energy mix and support the French photovoltaic industry. It's a win-win contract: a win for our company's performance, and a win for the general interest." said Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs. When they come into service in 2025, these four power stations will be dedicated solely to supplying the railway company, covering 3.6% of SNCF Voyageurs' electricity requirementsThe 207 GWh supplied per year also represents the annual consumption of the RER D line in the Paris region.
Ultimately, the company expects to avoid the emission of 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The agreement with Reden is part of an overall approach to supplying renewable electricity. The SNCF Energie subsidiary has already signed eight other purchasing contracts of this type, so by 2026 the railway company will be able to rely on more than 480 GWh from photovoltaic and wind power plants. Its aim is to go even further and have 1,100 GWh of electricity from renewable sources by 2026-2027. " i.e. 20% of our electrical requirements for the traction of our trains" says the company.
