klimaVest enters French electricity market with BayWa r.e. wind farm
08.11.2021 • 4 Reading Time
- 20-year government feed-in tariff secured
- CO₂ avoidance of approx. 6,700 tonnes, annual electricity consumption of more than 11,000 households covered
Commerz Real has acquired the Tout Vent wind farm in the western French region of Nouvelle Aquitaine not far from the Bay of Biscay from BayWa r.e. for its klimaVest impact fund. As a result, the fund has entered the French electricity market.
According to Commerz Real, further acquisitions of wind and solar farms are planned in France.
Connected to the grid in August 2021, Tout Vent comprises six turbines from the leading manufacturer Nordex with a total rated output of 18 megawatts. The planned annual energy production of around 59,300 megawatt-hours could cover the average annual consumption of more than 11,000 French households (based on figures from the Statistical Office of the European Union) thus avoiding the emission of around 6,700 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year.
BayWa r.e. had already secured a state feed-in tariff for 20 years. Commerz Real had already implemented three projects in Spain and Germany in the past with the international project developer and service provider. The BayWa r.e. service team will also be responsible for operations management at this wind farm in the future.
Launched in November 2020, klimaVest is the first and so far only impact fund for retail investors to invest in tangible assets in a focused manner. During its lifetime, it is expected to build a portfolio of renewable energy generation, sustainable infrastructure, mobility and forestry assets totalling at least 25 billion euros, of which approximately 10 billion euros will be equity.
Unlike conventional sustainability funds, klimaVest invests in assets that make a measurable and thus demonstrable contribution to the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, strict sustainability parameters apply in accordance with the applicable EU Taxonomy Regulation. The fund management aims to achieve an annual return (using the BVI method) of between 3.0 and 4.0 percent. Investors can participate from 10,000 euros and receive regular reports on the fund assets’ climate impact achieved in addition to its performance. An investment horizon of at least five years is recommended. However, units in the open-end fund may be redeemed on any trading day at the net asset value.