- Local authorities
- Industrie
- Santé
- Tertiaire privé
Idex raises €120 million to speed up photovoltaic solution rollout
Idex, a leading player in local, low-carbon energy solutions, has signed a €120 million financing agreement with Crédit Agricole CIB.
The financing will be used entirely to develop solar projects for businesses and communities, and is structured to cover contracts running for up to 20 years. It also attests to the solid foundations underpinning Idex's business model and will help to accelerate photovoltaic project development in France.
Idex's unique expertise in turnkey solutions
The financing validates Idex's pioneering strategy in the French market. Its strategy is based on its fully integrated operation and know-how, which enables it to deliver competitive solar projects without relying on government subsidies. As it manages every link in the value chain – from development to operation, including investment, financial engineering and construction – Idex is in a position to achieve lasting reductions in its customers' energy bills and carbon footprint as well as long-term cost-efficiency.
Developing a resilient energy model
Solar power is a key enabler for energy sovereignty as well as decarbonisation, and the financing will enable Idex to speed up the rollout of these positive-impact projects across France.
Idex completed a project to solar-power nine Safran bases in France this summer, with the commissioning of the last plant in Montluçon, in the centre of the country.
Within this partnership, Safran entrusted Idex with the turnkey design, installation, financing and operation for 25 years of photovoltaic canopies producing a total of 12.5 MWp on the aerospace and defence group's car parks. This flagship project is a compelling illustration of the potential to reduce electricity costs, stabilise prices and increase energy resilience with solar energy. The green electricity from these arrays now covers 10% to 25% of the sites' needs, enabling Safran to consume local, low-carbon energy while cutting its electricity bills and CO2 emissions.
Photovoltaic power lowers carbon emissions and advances energy independence
Crédit Agricole CIB's long-term backing will enable Idex to step up development of photovoltaic installations on land that is already sealed – including car park canopies and building rooftops – and demonstrate that this model can be replicated country-wide. In France, car parks alone could produce up to 20 GW of solar energy, matching the capacity of several nuclear reactors.
The economic models behind these projects will include individual and collective self-consumption, as well as surplus resale or full grid injection, providing a broad and flexible choice of solutions for businesses and local authorities.
Idex also offers its customers innovative energy storage systems alongside their solar arrays. This technology stores surplus electricity when supply exceeds demand and releases it later, opening the door to full-output self-consumption while strengthening independence and resilience against market price volatility.
This financing shows that the market is able to support decentralised, sustainable energy models. I am thrilled to see players such as Idex turning this vision into reality with distributed solar projects backed by innovative financing. This project is a perfect fit for the strategy that our DistribGen/CACIB teams are pursuing.
