H2air is a French independent renewable energy producer, with over 3 GW in development in wind and solar energy, of which 1 GW is in projects outside of France. Currently, 416 MW are under construction. The company now seeks to expand further, reaffirming its commitment to the renewable energy sector.
“Our goal is to have 1 GW of installed capacity in operation in the coming years, which will involve diversifying our energy sources. We will soon begin operating our first solar parks, and we also want to invest in energy storage,” says Charlotte Cougny, Communication Officer at H2air. She adds that the company plans to expand its activities to other countries.
With full control over the value chain, H2air manages every stage of its projects: development, construction, and operational management of wind farms, which are handled by H2air GT, a subsidiary of the H2air Group, which operates 500 MW, half of which is on behalf of third parties, according to the executive.
The company offers technical and commercial management of its fleet of wind and solar parks, monitoring through an internal supervision center, video-endoscopy, blade inspection, vibration analysis, alignment verification, movement measurement, and technical auditing, as Cougny points out.
“We also offer financial management contracts, which include electricity resale and advisory services in financial strategy,” adds in an interview with Energía Estratégica España.
The Renewable Market in France: Challenges and Opportunities
The current renewable energy market in France presents both challenges and opportunities. Onshore wind energy, although facing certain regulatory restrictions, remains a widely accepted option, according to H2air’s representative.
In the solar sector, growth is even more rapid. In 2023 alone, photovoltaic installations grew by 30% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, France’s multi-year energy plan sets ambitious goals for 2030, including up to 45 GW in wind energy and 100 GW in solar photovoltaic capacity.
“Customers are always interested in the latest innovations. Storage and grid connection are becoming key topics. These are two areas where we are actively working. In the long term, repowering and extending wind and solar parks are becoming important topics in France,” emphasizes Cougny.
The Impact of Regulations
Political restrictions are one of the main barriers to the development of renewable projects in many European markets. In this context, H2air’s representative points out that “operating a wind or solar park today is nothing like operating parks in the 2000s. There are many more restrictions now.”
“This is one of the reasons we have invested internally in our monitoring center. Environmental monitoring is an important issue in France, and H2air GT can rely on the environmental experts from the H2air group for this,” adds the Communication Officer
Furthermore, Cougny notes that cybersecurity and the new European directive NIS 2 introduce additional restrictions for operators, which is why H2air GT has prepared its operational fleet for compliance.
“Managing negative prices is a significant issue in France and Europe, and it can impact the management of parks. That’s why we advocate for greater interconnection in France and Europe, electrification of uses, adaptation of consumption to renewable energy production peaks, and more storage,” the executive concludes.
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