H2air and Free officially sign their PPA for the supply of wind power in the Haute-Marne region of France

Today, at the foot of the turbines at the Limodores wind farm in Rochefort-sur-la-Côte in the Haute-Marne region of northeastern France, Camille Vandenbeuck, Executive Director of H2air, and Nicolas Thomas, CEO of Free, officially signed the wind power purchase agreement (PPA) announced on May 13, 2025. Hélène Haltz, mayor of Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, attended the signing. Under this agreement, the wind farm will supply Free with around 19 GWh of electricity per year from four of its turbines over a 15-year period.

A first wind PPA for Free

Driven by an ambitious CSR strategy, the iliad Group – Free's parent – launched a Climate Plan in January 2021 in which it pledged to support the development of new low-carbon energy capacity in the countries where it operates, i.e., France, Italy and Poland.

In line with this commitment, on May 13, 20251, the Group announced the signature of four new PPAs in its three geographies, increasing the total number of renewable energy projects in its portfolio to eight.

These four new agreements include the Group’s first wind PPA – signed with French renewable energy producer H2air – which complements its solar power PPAs and will help it to more effectively manage intermittency. As from January 1, 2026, for a period of 15 years, four turbines at the Limodores wind farm in the Haute-Marne region will supply the Group with approximately 19 GWh of electricity per year, representing the equivalent of the annual consumption of 3,520 households. Over the duration of the PPA, 13,900 tonnes of CO2 will be avoided.

Combined with the Group's three other French PPAs, the Limodores project brings to 96.8 GWh the total volume of green electricity produced in France to cover Free's energy needs. By 2027, 16% of the Group’s total energy consumption in France will be covered by PPAs.

Nicolas Thomas, CEO of Free, said: “I’m delighted to have officially signed this PPA today alongside our partner H2air, Hélène Haltz, mayor of Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, and representatives from our regional teams at Free. For a period of 15 years our Group will purchase the electricity generated by four of the turbines at this impressive Limodores wind farm. I firmly believe that this type of project is a triple win for us: securing our long-term energy supply, reducing our carbon emissions and further strengthening our regional presence. A huge well done to all of the teams who worked so hard on finalizing this agreement !” 

A wind farm with strong regional roots

Located in Rochefort-sur-la-Côte, the Limodores wind farm was developed and built by H2air, which also currently operates it. Brought into service on May 1, 2024, it blends into the landscape of the Barrois plateau, between forest areas and agricultural clearings. The project is the outcome of a strong local initiative, led since 2010 by the mayor and local councilors, and supported by seven regional companies during its construction.

It is operated by H2air GT, a subsidiary of the H2air group, based in the Grand Est region. Environmental monitoring has been conducted at the wind farm for two years now – including via detectors to observe the activities of bats – in order to ally electricity production with biodiversity preservation.

Camille Vanderbeuck, Executive Director of H2air, said: “We're very proud to be supplying Free with renewable energy under its very first wind PPA in Europe! The electricity generated by the Limodores wind farm will help decarbonize the economy and demonstrates H2air's ability to meet the needs of large operators like the iliad Group. We’re delighted to have forged this key partnership to directly sell electricity to such a major business player.”

About H2air

H2air is a French independent renewable electricity producer founded in 2008 by Roy Mahfouz. As a pioneer in onshore wind energy in France, H2air has become a major player in the French renewable energy market. Its teams develop, finance, build and operate wind and solar farms, and the Group also offers its customers connection and storage solutions. With an operating presence in the Grand Est region for more than 15 years, H2air is an integrated player, delivering its decarbonized electricity to major private companies through long-term supply contracts, backed by a portfolio of varied and low-risk projects. H2air also operates the Dahlia wind farm (in Cirey-lès-Mareilles) and has several other renewable energy projects in the Haute-Marne region.
www.h2air.fr
Press contact: Marine Robert, media relations officer, Grand Est region
+33 (0)6 63 32 26 58 - medias@h2air.fr

About Free

Free – the inventor of the world's first triple-play box – is a Fixed and Mobile Ultra-Fast Broadband operator in France, standing out for its innovative, straightforward and attractive offerings. At end-March 2025, it had 23.1 million retail subscribers (15.5 million Mobile subscribers and 7.6 million Fixed-line subscribers). Free is a subsidiary of the iliad Group, which was created in France in the early 1990s and now also operates in Italy under the iliad brand and in Poland under the Play brand. In March 2021, the iliad Group launched its BtoB business in France under the Free Pro brand.
www.free.fr
Press contact: presse@iliad.fr