Through its Epopée Infra Climat I fund, Épopée Gestion invests 30 million euros in EnerVivo, a Bordeaux-based company specializing in the design, development and operation of photovoltaic power plants, with a focus on agrivoltaic projects. The investment takes the form of a strategic partnership whose ambition is to support the development of the agrivoltaic sector in France to contribute to the challenges of food and energy sovereignty. 40 projects have already been secured, with a total energy production capacity of 104 Megawatts.
EnerVivo, a mission-driven company, is an innovative young company co-founded in 2022 by Sylvain Frédéric, Chairman, Vincent Girault, Managing Director and Damien Léonard, Development Director, all experienced professionals with solid backgrounds in the renewable energies and agronomy sectors. The company develops photovoltaic solutions tailored to agricultural needs, including photovoltaic greenhouses, shading systems on agricultural fields and rooftop installations. EnerVivo manages each project in its entirety, taking care of all the key stages, from land prospecting and impact studies, to obtaining permits, construction and commissioning. This model enables EnerVivo to provide long-term support to farmers in implementing solutions that reconcile the creation of photovoltaic farms with improved agricultural yields and adaptation to climate change.
A sustainable solution to support the agricultural sector
EnerVivo focuses on the development of projects integrating livestock, crop and tree farming activities, with installations ranging from 1 MWp to 30 MWp. These projects, which have a strong environmental impact and present agronomic challenges, are territorial and include farmers, offering them the opportunity to become co-shareholders in a logic of sharing the value created. EnerVivo works with a number of players in the sector to encourage young farmers to take over farms, enabling them to earn additional income while ensuring the long-term future of their businesses.
A production target of 200 Megawatts
At a time when France is counting on a sharp acceleration in photovoltaic development to reach an installation capacity of 214 GW in 2050 according to RTE’s M1 scenario (i.e. 10 times greater than today), agrivoltaics represents a major strategic lever. The sector provides a sustainable response to the challenges of renewable energy production, without artificialising agricultural land.
Épopée Gestion will gradually commit 30 million euros to projects with unit investments ranging from 1 to 15 million euros, with the ultimate aim of producing 200MW of capacity. Enervivo will also eventually invest 7 million euros in a logic of alignment of interests.
This operation will also enable EnerVivo to strengthen its teams with the recruitment of several design engineers.
A project for the climate and the regions
The project, which is 100% in line with the European Taxonomy*, stands out for its rigorous impact management. Analyses carried out by Carbone 4 show that the project avoids the emission of 14,350 tonnes of CO2 compared with a “business as usual” scenario, and is aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. In addition to its environmental benefits, such as the reduction of greenhouse gases, the enhancement of biodiversity and the optimization of land use, the project generates positive economic (improved agricultural productivity, job creation) and social (resilience to climate change, promotion of local energy transition, preservation of agricultural heritage) externalities.
A strong focus on Research & Development
Enervivo has developed innovative in-house digital tools to speed up the identification and calculation of solar yield, and is actively working on the creation of a digital twin for agrivoltaics. The aim is to simulate the impact of shading on plant growth by modeling sunshine, shading, temperatures and plant growth as a function of soil and climate conditions.
Emmanuel Walliser, Partner and Head of Low-Carbon Infrastructure at Épopée Gestion, comments: “We’re very proud of this strategic partnership with EnerVivo, which represents a real step forward for the development of the agrivoltaic sector in France. We were immediately won over by the founders’ ambitious vision and the virtuous dimension of their project. This cooperation between Épopée Gestion and EnerVivo paves the way for an agro-ecological energy sector, where the alliance between agriculture and energy production benefits the environment, the sustainability of farms and our territories.”
Sylvain Frédéric, Chairman of EnerVivo, comments: “At the Épopée Gestion fund, we met people who listened attentively and, above all, understood the issues surrounding agrivoltaics and food sovereignty. The teams behind Épopée Gestion don’t just invest, they help us structure our value proposition and build partnership relationships. Their commitment to infrastructures that reduce man’s impact on nature convinced us.”
* European taxonomy: classification of economic activities with a positive impact on the environment