Solar-powered trains propel France’s dormant PPA scene

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Supply to SNCF's trains will come via three plants in southern France, set for commissioning between 2022 and 2023 (Credit: Flickr / Gerard - Nicolas Mannes)

French trains will be backed by utility-scale solar under a power purchase agreement (PPA), hailed as a major boost to the country’s still embryonic subsidy-free market.

Developer Voltalia has inked a 25-year deal to supply French state-run railway group SNCF via a new 143MW PV pipeline, set to be commissioned between 2022 and 2023.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Three solar plants will be built and owned by Voltalia in the southeastern departments of Gard and Var, Voltalia explained in a statement alongside SNCF this week.

The trio is designed to generate an annual 200GWh, equal to the needs of 40,000 households and enough to sustain 3-4% of SNCF’s train operations by 2022-2023.

The renewable PPA is the first of a series for the railway group, with PPA talks underway with other parties to contract six to seven times more power than this initial 143MW.  

Tailwinds for French subsidy-free

Matthias Emmerich, deputy CEO of SNCF Mobilités, said four factors make the deal “unprecedented”: its 143MW volume, its 25-year term, its prices “well below” market averages and the boost it marks for French PV.

The country remains Europe’s fourth largest PV market – at 9.4GW in 2018, according to IRENA – but has proved slower in embracing subsidy-free solar, with deployment still largely driven by auctions and subsidies.

Neighbouring Germany is similarly lagging behind with corporate PPAs. The country is home to a far larger industry but faces an uncertain outlook as the sector braces for a subsidy rollback and continued land restrictions.

For Voltalia, the PPA milestone emerges as the firm lines up funding to take its portfolio to 2.6GW by 2023. The developer is working towards the goal via its own developments in France and abroad but also purchases of other firms, including Martifer Solar.

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

July 8, 2025
The Chinese government has moved to curb excessive competition in the PV sector and stabilise pricing as companies report growing losses.
July 8, 2025
Germany could install 500GW of new solar agrivoltaics (agriPV) capacity on its most 'suitable' land, according to Fraunhofer ISE.
July 8, 2025
Bulgarian-headquartered solar engineering company Sunotec has acquired 100% of the project company, SIA DSE Lazas Solar, from Danish Sun Energy. 
July 8, 2025
Donald Trump has issued an executive order to tighten restrictions on renewable energy tax credits just days after signing his “One, Big Beautiful Bill” act into law, which significantly cut federal support for renewables.
July 8, 2025
German solar glass manufacturer Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg (GMB) has filed for insolvency after posting monthly losses of €900,000 this year.
July 8, 2025
SJVN Green Energy has commenced commercial operations of 100.02MW from its 1,000MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK