La Compagnie du Vent and Mirova Eurofideme 2, the French renewable energy infrastructure investment fund managed by Mirova, have signed an agreement to refinance and operate five solar photovoltaic power plants in the South of France. With a combined generating capacity of 47 MWp, all five plants will be commissioned between now and 2015.

Adopted following a bidding round coordinated by the French Energy Regulation Commission (CRE), the five solar power plants will generate around 66 million kilowatt hours of electricity every year; sufficient to meet the annual needs of nearly 37,000 consumers. This eco-friendly project will regenerate redundant former industrial sites, including the landfill site at Iscles (one of the largest in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region) and the former uranium mine workings at Le Bosc and Soumont.

The project is also designed to benefit the regional and national economies by using high-output French-made solar panels and involving local companies in the construction process. This €81.6 million investment is funded 50.1% by La Compagnie du Vent, with Eurofideme 2 providing the remaining 49.9%. This allows La Compagnie du Vent to maintain a leading industrial role as the operator of these new plants.

At the partnership signing ceremony, La Compagnie du Vent Chairman Thierry Conil said: "This partnership consolidates our industrial model and strengthens our ability to fund the many projects we have planned for the future. We are delighted with this new working relationship, which will enable us to continue developing and establishing ourselves as a leading player in the solar photovoltaic market."

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