Press Release
CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research), an internationally renowned scientific organisation specialising in fundamental physics, and Voltalia have signed two Corporate PPAs.
CERN’s particle accelerators on either side of the French-Swiss border near Geneva consume large quantities of electricity. CERN’s commitments to purchase renewable electricity will avoid the emission of 8,775 tons of CO2 per year, thanks to Voltalia’s solar power plants.
Under the terms of the Corporate PPA, CERN will purchase for 15 years the output of two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 26.8 MW, currently under development in the south of France.
The combined output of these two plants will be equivalent to the consumption of 19,400 inhabitants.
CERN is committed to the continuous improvement of its energy performance and will be ISO 50001 certified in February 2023. CERN’s objectives are to minimise the energy required for its activities, improve energy efficiency and recover waste energy.
This partnership therefore complements CERN’s major efforts towards responsible energy management.
Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, stated:
“Voltalia is very proud to supply renewable energy to CERN, and in particular to its world-renowned particles accelerators, which demonstrated the existence of the Higgs boson.
“Our two photovoltaic projects will make a tangible contribution to CERN’s efforts to protect the environment through the production of competitive, low-carbon energy.”
