Energy developer Q ENERGY has officially opened the capital of its Ventajou wind project, located in Sévérac d’Aveyron, to three institutional and citizen-based stakeholders. The municipality of Sévérac d’Aveyron now holds 30% of the shares, the Agence Régionale Énergie Climat (AREC) Occitanie 12%, and the citizen investment company Énergie Partagée 7%. This marks Q ENERGY’s first project to feature a shared governance and financing structure with public and citizen actors, according to the agreement signed by the parties.
A cooperative model of local governance
The shareholders’ agreement establishes joint governance and a shared decision-making framework, involving local stakeholders from the initial design stages of the project. This structure allows the participating public entities and citizens to co-define the development, operation, and value distribution processes of the facility. The partners will also have oversight of operational phases throughout the project’s lifecycle.
In addition to their equity participation, the local entities will benefit from the project’s economic returns, with a reinvestment plan targeting local initiatives. The project has received the Énergie Partagée label, which certifies compliance with 15 criteria related to shared governance, local engagement, and ethical finance, with no impact on its projected industrial profitability.
Long-standing public engagement with wind energy
The municipality of Sévérac d’Aveyron continues its established involvement with wind energy since 2017. It is already engaged in a consultation process with the association Énergies Citoyennes Locales et Renouvelables (ECLR) Occitanie and was selected under the “New Citizen Energy Models” call for interest led by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) and the Occitanie Region.
The Ventajou project is included in a Renewable Energy Production Acceleration Zone (ZAPER) identified by the municipality, with institutional support for establishing a public-private legal and financial structure. This framework has been developed with assistance from AREC, tasked with mobilising municipalities for investment in local energy infrastructure.
Estimated output for 20,000 residents
The future Ventajou wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 16.4 megawatts (MW). It represents an extension of the initial site and aligns with the guidelines of the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park charter, which favours the expansion of existing facilities over new developments. Commissioning is expected by 2030.
According to technical projections from the project owner, the wind farm should generate the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of approximately 20,000 people. This figure matches the population of the town of Millau. The project is in line with national targets to increase the share of renewables to 32% of gross final energy consumption by 2030.
