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Remarkable success of the crowfunding for the Gazonor Béthune project

17 February 2021

Pontpierre, France, February 17, 2021 – La Française de l’Énergie (Euronext: LFDE – ISIN: FR0013030152), producer of energy with a negative carbon footprint, and Lendosphere, the leading crowdfunding platform dedicated to sustainable development projects in France, are proud to announce that the Gazonor Béthune project has raised € 5,500,000 in record time.

€ 5,500,000 successfully raised in record time

Within two months, Gazone Béthune, a subsidiary of La Française de l’Energie, raised € 5,500,000 in crowdfunding via the Lendosphere platform, to refinance the equity invested by the Group in this flagship project, thus representing one of the most important crowdfunding done in France.

Since January 2021, Gazonor Béthune has been operating two cogeneration units (3 MW of installed capacity) supplied by abandoned mine methane from the old mining galleries in Hauts-de-France, allowing to convert this gas into green electricity and heat used by the consumers located in the town of Béthune.

1,708 citizens are supporting La Francaise de l’Energie’s project

1,708 citizens have participated in this financing for the development of this local, sustainable and virtuous project that is part of the Rev3 initiative developed by the Region. Thanks to this project, the city’s heating network will rank among the greenest and most price competitive in France.

Almost 40% of the funds raised came from residents of the Hauts-de-France region, once again demonstrating the relevance of the local model promoted by La Française de l’Energie. Individuals have invested between € 100 and € 500,000.

“We warmly thank the 1,708 citizen-lenders for their trust and support in this unique project in Europe developed by Gazonor Béthune. The fundraising largely exceeded the objective initially set, and its success confirms our desire to continue to involve citizens in the development of energy solutions with strong environmental, economic and social impacts for the territories concerned.”, welcomes Julien Moulin, Chairman of La Française de l’Energie.

“The success of this crowdfunding proves the relevance of our model based on a strict selection of projects, based both on their economic model and their environmental added value, and on a community of investors sensitive to the meaning of their savings and capable to invest significant amount of capital”, explains Laure Verhaeghe, CEO of Lendosphere.

For the Béthune site, an estimated 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided each year thanks to the capture of this abandoned mine gas that will be then transported to Béthune, where the two cogeneration units will transform it into green electricity and heat.

La Française de l’Energie continues its deployment in order to achieve its annualized turnover targets of € 35 million for an EBITDA margin of over 45% by the end of 2022.

Next announcement:

March 23, 2021 – Half-year results 2020/2021

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Promises won't impact
climate change.
Your local resources, will.

Climate change is an undeniable reality. We can already see its serious consequences for our planet. It is now urgent to act.

At FDE, we refuse to participate in initiatives that generate pollution beyond our borders, even if they reduce the carbon footprint of our local territories. Whether it is a question of carbon footprint or pollution, there are no limits.

It is our duty to build sustainable energy solutions that move towards global carbon neutrality. Today, the most resilient and sustainable energy solution is even more self-evident: it is imperative that energy remains local, within short supply chains, as close as possible to the needs of local communities and consumers.

Considering these, at FDE, we are taking actions and offering tailor-made, local multi-energy solutions.

By making the most of local resources, our offer enables us to provide territories with energies with a triple benefit: reduced carbon footprint, economically competitive and contributing to the socio-economic development of the area. We choose abandoned sites, make the most of the potential of local suppliers and service providers, and participate in a local center of expertise that involves universities, local authorities and associations in the local energy project.

FDE lacks neither the resources nor the know-how to deploy tailor-made energy solutions for everyone and for the planet.

Our engineers embrace the energy transition with a pragmatic view.

Recovering abandoned mine gas avoids fatal gas emissions into the atmosphere, while local coal gas reduces the need to import much more carbon-intensive gases. Abundant solar energy is both local and renewable.

To support the energy transition, at FDE, we are constantly innovating, looking for new solutions for the future, such as hydrogen, a decarbonized energy, or CO2 sequestration in coal.

In addition, all energy produced by our Group is designed to be more virtuous. All these processes therefore make FDE the only French energy producer with a negative carbon footprint.

HSE POLICY

In accordance with its values and code of ethics, and with the aim of pursuing the objective of:

  • Guarantee the integrity of our assets,
  • Ensure a safe and healthy working environment for its employees and subcontractors,
  • Guarantee the health and safety of all personnel working on and off-site,
  • Limit environmental impact.

 

FDE wishes to promote the following HSE principles:

Identify, prevent and control impacts and risks to health, safety, security and the environment,

Develop the company's activities in a sustainable and eco-responsible manner,

Improve the working environment for its employees and subcontractors.

Consequently, FDE undertakes to:

Ensure the rigorous application of regulatory procedures in force with respect to safety, health, environment and the preservation of public security,

Impose operational management with advanced criteria for environmental protection, pollution prevention and energy optimization, as part of the ecological transition,

Systematically verify compliance with HSE principles through audits and practical exercises, with the aim of continuously improving the system and its performance,

Define indices and performance indicators for monitoring HSE activities and promote benchmarking to identify areas for improvement,

Encourage employee participation and involvement in health, safety and environmental protection processes through training and creation of tools for sharing experience and knowledge.

This culture of risk prevention and control applies to all employees, partners and suppliers. It involves setting concrete objectives and deploying action plans as part of a continuous improvement process to better anticipate tomorrow's challenges. This policy is reviewed annually, as are the associated indicators and targets.

Antoine FORCINAL
Directeur Général,