Key Takeaways:
- TotalEnergies has acquired Ombrea, France’s leading agrivoltaics company founded in 2016.
- The acquisition will boost TotalEnergies’ agrivoltaics development in domestic and international markets.
- Ombrea’s expertise maximizes the synergy between agricultural production and green electricity generation.
- With this move, TotalEnergies aims to develop its 1.5 GW of agrivoltaic projects under the French Renewable Energy Acceleration Law.
- The Aix-en-Provence site will serve as TotalEnergies’ global hub for agrivoltaics, integrating Ombrea’s team and founders.
Founded in 2016, Ombrea has distinguished itself in agrivoltaics by establishing ten sites and researching around fifty crop varieties. The primary objective has been to innovate and specialize in harmonizing agricultural production with green electricity generation.
This latest acquisition by TotalEnergies is a strategic step to incorporate Ombrea’s expertise and personnel into its renewable ventures. The aspiration is to bolster agrivoltaic endeavors in France and international territories. TotalEnergies, under the Ombrea banner, will present the agricultural community with avant-garde solutions that interweave solar power with farming. This includes safeguarding against climatic adversities, preserving or enhancing crop yields, and evolving with climate changes.
The recent French Renewable Energy Acceleration Law of March 2023 also drives the ambition. The law pushes for greater sustainable energy solutions, and with Ombrea under its umbrella, TotalEnergies envisions developing its 1.5 GW of agrivoltaic projects in alignment with these criteria.
The integration is symbiotic. Over forty experts from Ombrea, including founders Christian Davico and Julie Davico-Pahin, will collaborate with TotalEnergies’ agrivoltaic specialists. Their base will be at Ombrea’s Aix-en-Provence site, marking it the core location for TotalEnergies’ agrivoltaic division.
Vincent Stoquart, Senior Vice President of renewables at TotalEnergies, expressed his enthusiasm, highlighting the vision of merging expertise. The aim is to augment the energy sector’s revenue, sustain agricultural operations, and mitigate the carbon footprint.
Ombrea’s founders mirrored this enthusiasm, emphasizing the accelerated rollout of their innovative solutions that champion modern, high-performance agriculture.
TotalEnergies’ Green Ambitions
TotalEnergies’ stride into renewables and electricity is evident. With an end goal of achieving net zero by 2050, they have an impressive renewable electricity generation capacity of 19 GW as of July 2023. The company is expanding, targeting 35 GW from renewable sources and storage by 2025 and an ambitious 100 GW by 2030. This aligns with their objective to be among the top global electricity producers via solar and wind energy.
About TotalEnergies
As a multi-energy conglomerate, TotalEnergies stands at the forefront of energy production and marketing, spanning oil and biofuels, natural gas, green gases, renewables, and electricity. With a strong workforce of over 100,000 across nearly 130 countries, they are staunch advocates of sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy. Sustainable development remains their central ethos, aiming to enhance global well-being.
Image provided by agrovoltaics.com
1 Comment