Key Takeaways:
- Sunti has been developing the agrivoltaic project “La Croix de Fer” in Vestric-et-Candiac (Gard) since 2022. It won the 6th CRE Building tender.
- This project will benefit from a guaranteed electricity purchase price for 20 years.
- The project combines organic viticulture and solar energy production using Sun’Agri’s dynamic agrivoltaic technology.
- It aims to protect vineyards from climate extremes such as frost and heatwaves.
- The project is expected to produce 5 GWh of green electricity annually, powering around 2,325 inhabitants.
Agrivoltaic Project “La Croix de Fer” Wins CRE Tender
The agrivoltaic project “La Croix de Fer,” located in the commune of Vestric-et-Candiac (Gard) and developed by Sunti since 2022, has been selected as a winner in the 6th session of the Commission de Régulation de l’Énergie (CRE) Building tender. This recognition ensures that the project will receive a guaranteed purchase price for the electricity produced over the next 20 years.
Combining Organic Viticulture and Solar Energy
The “La Croix de Fer” project marks the first agrivoltaic vineyard in Gard, which will be entirely managed using organic farming practices. Developed by Sunti and utilizing Sun’Agri’s patented dynamic agrivoltaic technology, this project ingeniously merges viticulture with the production of decarbonized electricity. The partnership between Sunti and Sun’Agri aims to leverage this technology to protect vineyards from adverse climatic conditions.
Addressing Climate Challenges in Viticulture
In recent years, vineyards in Gard have faced significant challenges due to climate change, including late frosts and increasingly severe heatwaves, leading to substantial crop losses. Jean-Fred and Silvan Coste, fifth-generation winegrowers and pioneers of organic wine in France, sought effective solutions to safeguard their vineyards from these climatic extremes. They chose Sunti to implement the dynamic agrivoltaic system designed by Sun’Agri, which offers protection for their crops.
Bastien Clément, Director of Development at Sunti, stated, “We are very proud of this first agrivoltaic reference in Gard, which will help a farmer navigate upcoming climatic challenges. All farmers should know that solutions exist through agrivoltaics to mitigate these risks. We regularly conduct territorial diagnostics with wine cooperatives and independent winegrowers.”
Project Details and Benefits
The “La Croix de Fer” project involves renewing old vineyards that have passed their optimal production stage. With a capacity of 3.8 MWc, the project will cover 5 hectares of vineyards with dynamic agrivoltaic canopies and an additional 0.5 hectares will serve as a control area without cover. The vineyards, planted with Grenache grapes, will be managed entirely under organic farming principles, with the harvest processed at the Cave des Vignobles de la Voie d’Héraclès, a leading producer of organic wine in France.
The project is expected to yield an annual production of 450 hectoliters of wine under the agrivoltaic system, with an additional 45 hectoliters from the control area. Scheduled to commence operations in the first half of 2025, the 6,544 solar panels installed in the agrivoltaic power plant will generate 5 GWh of green electricity annually, equivalent to the annual consumption of 2,325 residents.
Community Involvement and Support
Supported by the municipality of Vestric-et-Candiac and the Rhôny Vistre Vidourle Community of Communes, Sunti aims to involve local residents in the project’s success. In this regard, all residents will be able to participate in a crowdfunding campaign that will be launched before the agrivoltaic park becomes operational.
Image provided by Sunti
