Carbon footprint of a photovoltaic power plant in the Landes region of France
The GHG balance, which complements the environmental assessment report, is designed to meet the expectations of authorities such as the Mission Régionale d’Autorité environnementale (MRAe) and the Conseil National de Protection de la Nature (CNPN), in line with the commitments set out in the Stratégie Nationale Bas-Carbone (SNBC).
Our mission
Kapstan was commissioned to carry out a carbon footprint assessment of the two power plants, covering the entire life cycle — from raw material extraction to end-of-life dismantling and component recycling. The objective is to rigorously evaluate their environmental benefits by quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each stage of the plants’ life cycle, as well as the emissions potentially avoided through the substitution of more carbon-intensive electricity with lower-carbon electricity, within the French and European energy mix.
The study is based on the latest ADEME reference framework, which emphasizes the key role of soils in both climate regulation and biodiversity preservation.
The study highlights the environmental benefits of the photovoltaic power plants developed by VALOREM in Arengosse: over the 30 years of operation, they will prevent the emission of more than 76,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, by replacing other, more carbon-intensive means of electricity production.
