Remarkable success for Gazonor Béthune and launch of the second tranche of crowdfunding for this project

Forbach, France, January 3, 2021 – La Française de l’Énergie (Euronext: LFDE – ISIN: FR0013030152), leader in industrial ecology, and Lendosphere, the leading crowdfunding platform dedicated to sustainable development projects, are proud to announce that the initial fundraising objective set at € 2,250,000 for the first phase of the Gazonor Béthune project has been exceeded in record time.

Target exceeded with the support of 1,148 participants

In less than a month, Gazonor Béthune, a subsidiary of La Française de l’Energie, raised € 2,425,000 from 1,148 lenders via the Lendosphere platform, to cover part of the capital expenditures related to the Bethune project. A significant portion of the citizens who participated in the funding are residents of the Hauts-de-France region, once again demonstrating the relevance of the local model promoted by La Francaise de l’ Energie.

“We would like to thank the 1,148 investors for their confidence and enthusiasm towards our project. The first fundraising largely exceeded the objective we had initially set for ourselves, and its success confirms our desire to set up local financing circuits allowing citizens to be involved in the development of a unique project in Europe.”, welcomes Julien Moulin, Chairman of La Française de l’Energie.

Launch of the second tranche of this crowdfunding

Building on this remarkable first success, the Group is launching tomorrow, January 4, 2021, the second tranche of this crowdfunding, open to all and with the aim of raising € 2,075,000.

This raise still concerns Gazonor Béthune, the subsidiary of La Française de l’Energie, which is building and will begin to operate two cogeneration units powered by abandoned mine methane captured in the former mining galleries of Hauts-de-France, enabling this fatal gas to be used in the Béthune heating network (Hauts-de-France).

This flagship project of the Rev3 initiative developed by the Region will enable the city’s heating network to be among the greenest and cheapest in France.

An estimated 150,000 tonnes of CO2eq emissions will be avoided thanks to the recovery of the abandoned mine methane that would otherwise go to the atmosphere. That gas will be transported to Béthune, where the two cogeneration units will transform it into green electricity and heat. Commissioning is scheduled for early 2021.

Through this innovative and participatory financing approach, La Française de l’Energie confirms its local positioning by also offering citizens the opportunity to participate in the greening of French energy.

The investment terms (interest rate, duration, etc.) of the second tranche of this crowfunding, identical to the first, are presented at: www.lendosphere.com/bethune

Next announcement:
January 26th, 2021 – First Quarter 2021 Sales