Gestamp Solar will develop the world’s largest photovoltaic project in automotive history for Renault in France

Gestamp Solar, will develop the largest solar photovoltaic project within the automotive sector in the world, equipping Renault’s six French plants with solar panels.

• This project covers Renault's main center in Douai, and also the ones in Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly, Sandouville and Cleon.
• When it is fully completed, it will have a power of 60 megawatts, which is the equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption of a town with 15,000 inhabitants.
• Thanks to this project, the use of this renewable energy will reduce CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons each year.

Gestamp Solar, the solar photovoltaic division of Gestamp Renewables will develop 60 MW distributed among all Renault factories that the company holds in France. Gestamp Solar developed this project in the Renault factories of Cleon, Douai, Flins Sandouville, Batilly and Maubeuge. This project will protect the vehicles on delivery centers and shipments through the construction of shelters on the fields, which in turn will generate electricity.

The solar panels will cover the areas corresponding to the delivery and dispatch of the plants at Douai, Maubeuge, Flins Batilly and Sandouville as well as the staff car parkings in Cléon and Maubeuge. These Installed panels allow the reduction of 30,000 tons of CO2 each year and produce an output of 60 MW, which is equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption of more than 15,000 people. Jorge Barredo, CEO of Gestamp Solar affirms that "this project with Renault is the  largest project ever carried out in France in terms of megawatts  contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the automotive industry," and added “This is the largest project of Gestamp Solar in Europe.”

The start date of the construction is planned for mid-June this year, with completion scheduled for February 2012.

Gestamp Solar

Gestamp Solar, subsidiary of Gestamp Renewables, specializes in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of solar parks.  Gestamp Solar has participated in the development of more than 300 MW in photovoltaic plants to date and has a portfolio of 550 MW planned for 2013 in France, Spain, Italy, USA, India and South Africa.

About Gestamp Renewables - Corporacion Gestamp

Gestamp Corporation, matix of Gestamp Renewables is a leading European multinational in the steel sector, automotive components and renewable energy.

It is currently present in 25 countries in Europe, America and Asia, with hundreds of industrial plants.

With a global staff of more than 20,000 employees, Gestamp Corporation reached a turnover of 5,000 million Euros in 2010.

Gestamp Renewables (www.gestampren.com), a division of Corporacion Gestamp,

is an industry group dedicated to the operation and supply of components in the field of renewable energies with a single integrated business model. It also has presence across the value chain, since it works from manufacture and supply of components for the  construction, maintenance, operation and development of wind (Gestamp Wind), solar (Solar Gestamp) and biomass (Biomass Gestamp) energy projects. Gestamp Renewables will invest a total of 2,600 million Euros in the development of 1,850 MW of renewable energy until the year 2013, which 900 MW correspond to wind power, 700 Mw to Solar Energy and 250 Mw to biomass.

Renault

Renault  is present in 118 countries; Renault develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of innovative vehicles, which are safer and environmentally friendly. Renault continues today with its strategy of profitable growth, together with its partners, Dacia and Renault Samsung Motors. The Renault Group has 121,000 employees worldwide, and in 2010, its turnover was EUR 38.971 million and sold 2.6 million vehicles.