A fund managed by Amundi’s €500m energy-transition arm has partnered with energy producer Opale to create a wind energy production platform in France.

Amundi Energy Transition’s (AET) ALBA I fund will own an 80% stake in the newly launched Opale Vesontio infrastructure platform, while Opale, which will be responsible for the operational management of the platform, will hold the remaining 20% stake.

In a joint statement, the companies said Opale’s initial contribution to the Opale Vesontio partnership is a wind energy portfolio of 27MW, comprising two wind farms in France’s Burgundy Franche-Comté region.

Jean-Pierre Laurent, CEO of Opale, said: “We are pleased to have the financial backing of Amundi Energy Transition, one of the first infrastructure funds to focus exclusively on the energy transition.

“This deal greatly increases our development capacity but still allows us to remain independent. AET’s support for the creation of the Opale Vesontio platform confirms our strategy of focusing on regional project developments and the energy transition.”

Matthieu Poisson, CEO of Amundi Energy Transition, said: “We are delighted to back Opale, one of France’s few remaining independent wind energy producers, which is now directing its efforts towards regional support. This partnership is testament to AET’s ability to forge new alliances with leading players who have regional roots in France and throughout Europe.”

Poisson said the Opale Vesontio venture is the third large-scale deal in the last two months, after the firm’s transaction with Sonnedix and TTR Energy last December.

He said: ”Just two years after raising capital, the ALBA fund I managed by ATE now has over 200 renewable assets in Europe, representing a power output of 1,400 MW.”

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