EDP, a developer of decentralized solar in Europe, has been selected by DECATHLON to install up to 80 solar plants at the company's facilities in six European countries. Up to 42,000 solar panels will be installed on the retailer's rooftops, carports, and other locations, achieving an installed capacity of over 21 MWp. This significant initiative accelerates DECATHLON's goal of producing and consuming solar energy, bringing the company closer to its ambitious commitment to use only renewable energy for DECATHLON stores worldwide by 2026.
In the coming months, EDP will begin installing plants at dozens of DECATHLON locations in France and Germany, enhancing the expansion of EDP's decentralized solar division into these two countries, where the company already has a presence through large-scale renewable production with EDP Renewables.
This partnership includes decentralized production plants in Portugal, where most of the projects are already installed and operational, as well as in Spain, Belgium, and Italy, with solar facilities also being developed in the coming months. The goal is to complete more than 80 solar plants by the end of 2026.
With this collaboration, EDP strengthens its role as a key partner to major multinational companies by simultaneously delivering tailored solar solutions adapted to the size and characteristics of each DECATHLON building.
"Being chosen by a partner like DECATHLON for this collaboration is a significant milestone for EDP. Our commitment to delivering multi-geography solar projects to global clients underscores our dedication to innovation and sustainable energy solutions worldwide. This endeavor is a testament to the expertise and collaborative efforts of our European teams, unified in our pursuit of a common goal: advancing renewable energy on a global scale,"
says Vera Pinto Pereira, EDP’s executive board member who heads its decentralized solar business worldwide.
"DECATHLON's goal is to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2026 in its property sites. To do this, we are prioritizing solar energy and aim to deploy solar plants at our sites whenever possible. EDP was the winner of a fierce regional competition for onsite projects in Europe in 2022, and since then have been signing contracts with DECATHLON and installing photovoltaic panels in many of our sites. This is an important step towards improving quality renewable energy and reducing CO2 emissions",
says Jean-Philippe Garraux, DECATHLON’s International Real Estate and Development leader.
Together, these plants could produce up to 21 MWh per year, enough energy to supply four thousand homes with renewable energy. By installing these solar plants, DECATHLON and EDP are contributing to avoiding the emission of around five thousand tons of CO2 per year, which would be emitted if the same amount of electricity were produced in these countries from non-renewable sources, equivalent to driving 1,200 gasoline-powered cars.*
With over a decade of experience and distributed solar generation operations in four global regions, this has become one of EDP's fastest-growing business segments and is expected to represent about 50% of the new solar capacity globally in the coming years. The group is committed to investing 2.5 billion euros by 2026 to install an additional 4 GWp in solar projects for households and businesses, thus making a decisive contribution to the energy transition.
*EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
Source: EDP