Voltalia kickstarts French corporate PPA scene with 5MW deal

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Home to projects by Engie and others, France has arrived to the corporate PPA scene later than Spain (Credit: Engie)

A large-scale PV project from French developer Voltalia has inked what the firm claims is the country's first ever corporate PPA.

For 25 years, retailer Boulanger Group will directly buy power from a 5MW first solar plant Voltalia will build, own and operate, with plans to reach the commissioning stage in 2022.

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

In a joint statement, developer and offtaker explained further installations could follow, describing a commitment by Boulanger to buy power “in priority” from Voltalia’s upcoming renewable projects.

Boulanger, known in France as a furniture and electronic device retailer, already has plans in place to become fully renewable-powered this July via existing hydro plants.  

“Aware that this new purchasing policy has only an indirect impact on the energy transition, Boulanger has decided to support the construction of additional capacity, through this durable partnership with Voltalia,” the retailer explained.

The claims of France’s first-ever corporate PPA come as the country – the reported home of 9.48GW of solar PV last year – falls behind Spain, Portugal and others in the market for these deals, seen as central for subsidy-free solar.

Deployment via auctions continues apace, however, with 855MW awarded to 118 ground-mounted projects at the latest dedicated tender in March.

For its part, Voltalia has in recent years been active not just in France but also beyond, with contracts landed in Albania, Egypt, Myanmar, Kenya and Brazil. The firm’s business witnessed a significant boost in 2016, when it took over fellow player Martifer.

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 24, 2025
2025 will be the first time in over a decade that solar power additions decline in the EU, according to a mid-year report from SolarPower Europe.
July 24, 2025
Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Sonnedix has raised €2 billion (US$2.35 billion) through two refinancing transactions in Europe.
July 23, 2025
US-based microinverter manufacturer Enphase Energy saw a decline of two percentage points in its gross margin for Q2 2025 due to Donald Trump's “reciprocal” tariffs regime.
July 22, 2025
Statkraft has posted quarter-on-quarter declines in electricity generation and earnings in the second quarter of this year.
July 21, 2025
Enfinity Global has sold a 49% equity interest in its 402MW portfolio of solar plants in Italy to the SOFAZ.
July 18, 2025
Companies have signed 4.22GW of solar PV power purchase agreements in the first half of 2025, according to Swiss consultancy Pexapark.

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 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK