Italian tissue paper maker to purchase solar power from RWE, PPC

Italian tissue paper and sanitary products maker Sofidel has inked a 10-year solar power off-take deal in Greece that will enable it to receive some 21 GWh of electricity annually for its local production base.

The power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed earlier in May with RWE Renewables Europe & Australia and PPC Renewables, through their joint venture (JV) Meton Energy SA. Under its terms, the Italian group will be supplied with electricity from a new photovoltaic (PV) park, to be built by Meton Energy in the Western Macedonia region of northern Greece.

The solar project tied to the PPA is already under construction, along with four other similar schemes. The five plants will add a combined capacity of 210 MWp and are planned to go online by the end of next year’s first quarter.

The off-take deal is aligned with Sofidel’s commitment to increasing the use of renewable power and promoting a low-carbon economy. The tissue paper manufacturer estimates that it will save some 12,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually thanks to the solar PPA.

Sofidel is already procuring green power from RWE’s 13.6-MW Alcamo II wind farm in Sicily, Italy, under a contract signed in 2011.