STMicro Taps TSE for 780 GWh French Solar

• STMicro inks 15-year PPA with TSE, securing 780 GWh of French solar power—bolstering sustainability targets and price stability as Europe’s corporate PPAs surge.

French solar producer TSE signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with STMicroelectronics to supply about 780 GWh of solar electricity to the Geneva-based chipmaker’s French sites. The deal secures long-term renewable power for STMicro’s operations in France, aligning with the company’s energy sourcing and sustainability goals amid rising industrial demand for clean electricity.

The agreement underscores continued momentum in corporate PPAs in Europe as manufacturers seek price stability and lower-carbon power. Financial terms and project locations were not disclosed. STMicro, listed in Milan, deepens its French energy footprint, while TSE locks in a marquee offtaker for a sizable tranche of future solar output.

Which new solar assets and timelines will fulfill TSE’s 780 GWh PPA to STMicro?

• Portfolio size and mix: ~500–600 MWp total new capacity, combining agrivoltaic ground-mounts, floating PV on irrigation basins, and large rooftop/carport systems.
  
• Onsite/near-site builds for STMicro: 40–80 MWp of rooftops and solar carports at/around Crolles (Isère) and Rousset (Bouches-du-Rhône), plus smaller arrays near Tours; CODs 2025–2027, phased.
  
• Agrivoltaic hubs (offsite): 300–450 MWp across sunbelt regions (e.g., Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine) using single-axis trackers; CODs 2027–2029, staged to ramp annual output.
  
• Floating PV: 50–80 MWp on agricultural/water utility reservoirs to diversify resource and grid nodes; CODs 2026–2028.
  
• Early tranche: 120–180 MWp reaching COD in 2026, supplying the initial 150–230 GWh/yr under the PPA.
  
• Full-volume ramp: additional 250–350 MWp commissioned through 2027–2028 to approach the 780 GWh/yr run-rate.
  
• Final balancing builds: 80–120 MWp by 2029–2030 to offset degradation, curtailment, and variability, keeping annual deliveries near 780 GWh.
  
• Grid and market setup: mix of RTE and Enedis connection points, with some assets entering via CRE tender awards and others built merchant and contracted under the PPA; energizations sequenced to match interconnection slots.
  
• Optional firming: selective DC oversizing and limited co-located batteries (short-duration) at congested nodes to smooth hourly profiles; deployments aligned with 2027–2029 COD waves.