Remarkable success of the crowfunding for the Gazonor Béthune project

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