Like most large manufacturers, Saint-Gobain committed, in 2019, to becoming carbon neutral in 2050. The building manufacturer then set intermediate objectives for 2030. It is aiming for a 33% reduction in emissions. on its scope 1 and 2 in absolute terms compared to a 2017 reference base and 16% reduction in emissions on its scope 3 compared to 2017. To achieve its objectives on scope 2, Saint-Gobain has been increasing the signing of long-term green energy purchase contracts (PPA) around the world.
To supply its French and North American factories with green energy, Saint-Gobain is banking on TotalEnergies. On October 8, the industrialist signed a 5-year contract with the French energy company for a total volume of 875 GWh, which will take effect in January 2026. Contrary to custom, it is not linked to the production of a solar park, but based on the purchase of green electron certificates. They correspond to the production of TotalEnergies wind and solar farms located in France, in the Grand Est, in Hauts-de-France, in Occitanie, and in the Pays de la Loire, to guarantee a “continuous” supply of green electricity.
Contracts backed by several solar parks
On the other hand, the BPA, biogas purchase agreement of 100 GWh that Saint-Gobain signed in June 2023 with TotalEnergies is indeed linked to the production of biogas on the BioBearn site. Just like the 15-year PPA announced in 2022 and signed on October 2, 2024 with TotalEnergies for the supply of 100 MW to Saint Gobain’s 125 industrial sites in the United States and Canada. The green electrons will be supplied by the Danish Fields solar farm in Texas, with a capacity of 720 MW, which is due to come into operation at the end of 2024.
But Saint-Gobain does not put all its eggs in one basket. In November 2023, the group signed a 14-year contract in France for the supply of 500 GWh produced by two solar farms in Moselle with Alpiq Energie. This agreement aimed to supply eleven French Saint-Gobain factories with 100% solar electricity. In December 2023, Saint-Gobain also signed a 20-year contract with CVE for 140 GWh of green electricity in South Africa. In February 2024, it was with Axpo Italia that Saint-Gobain signed a 10-year PPA relating to the supply of 22 GWh per year in Italy. And in May, a 5-year PPA for the supply of 800 GWh was signed with OMV Patrom in Romania. Knowing that in 2022, Saint-Gobain had also announced a partnership with Engie Roumania for the construction of the largest photovoltaic park in the country (8.6 MWp) to date to power its Calarasi industrial site.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
