Voltalia begins construction of its first solar+storage project

Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, announces the beginning of the construction of the Savane des Pères facility, a 3.8 MW solar plant coupled with a 2.6 MW / 2.9 MWh battery system, tailored to local needs in French Guiana.

"Building upon a first experience as EPC contractor for a 2 MW storage project built in 2018 in the UK, Voltalia has now the in-house expertise to carry out the development, construction and operation of storage installations. This is an important addition to our activities, paving the way for further developments on this fast-growing market", comments Sébastien Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of Voltalia.

The Savane des Pères project, first of its kind for Voltalia, was won in June 2016[1] during the tender launched by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. This tender aimed at fostering solar energy development in French overseas departments.

The solution brought up by Voltalia was a 3.8 MW solar power plant, coupled with an advanced forecasting tool and a 2.6 MW energy storage unit using lithium-ion batteries. Storage will be used to raise the level of predictability and the reliability of the solar plant's production by injecting electricity on the grid when it is most needed by households.

A particular attention was paid to the choice of the site as the project will upgrade a former landfill located near Sinnamary city.

The Savane des Pères project will benefit from a 25-year contract with a secured tariff, starting from the commissioning of the plant, expected in the second semester of 2019.

French Guiana, Voltalia's historical birthplace

Voltalia is the leader in French Guiana, the place of its birth in 2005, where the Group relies on an experienced local team on the ground.

With 33 MW currently in operation, construction and secured, French Guiana is, to date, the only territory where Voltalia has won contracts for four different technologies: hydro, biomass, solar, and storage.

Next on the agenda: Q4 and FY 2018 revenues on January 23, 2019

About Voltalia (www.voltalia.com)

• Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector. The Company produces and sells electricity generated from wind, solar, hydro and biomass power plants; it owns a total installed capacity of 524 MW as of today.
• Voltalia is also a service provider, assisting its investor clients active in renewables at each project stages, from conception to operation and maintenance.
• With 490 employees in 18 countries over 4 continents, Voltalia is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients.
• Voltalia has been listed on the Euronext regulated market in Paris since July 2014 (FR0011995588 - VLTSA) and is a component stock of the Enternext Tech 40 index and the CAC Mid&Small index. The Group is also included in the Gaïa-Index, an index for socially responsible midcaps.  

[1] See press release dated June 13,206