Disneyland Paris has shared another update with their new solar canopy plant project that has been long in development since 2018 for having an eco-friendly environment and for them to implement their practices of having clean energy at the resort and throughout the region outside of Paris, France. The resort has proudly announced more new details and concept for the project contribution, as one of the largest solar energy plants within Europe.
The solar energy initiative will reduce Val d’Europe local territory emissions of CO2 by 750 tons per year, marking a new milestone in Disneyland Paris’ environmental commitment.
The resort announced a phased development for the this massive undertaking of a project through a co-investment with French company Urbasolar, as part of a continued commitment to environmental sustainably. It will be located the resort’s main guest parking lot , the reduction of Val d’Europe local territory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximatively 750 tons of CO2 per year while providing additional guest enhancements. Including shade and shelter from other weather environments of sunlight, rain or snow. Construction began in July of this year and is expected to be completed in 2023, with the first milestone for sometime in Spring 2021.
“Environmental innovation and stewardship are a tradition that began with Walt Disney himself, and this ambitious solar power project is the latest in our commitment to the environment at Disneyland Paris,” said Natacha Rafalski, President of Disneyland Paris. “It is our responsibility as a business and leading tourist destination to contribute to the long-term sustainability of our resort and the region through environmentally responsible practices.”
Disneyland Paris and Urbasolar’s partnership for their co-investment will be 17 hectares (42 acres) of solar canopies, using 67,500 solar panels for a production of 31 gigawatt-hours per year (GWh/year). While it doesn’t fully mainly focus on the resort and it is enough clean energy for about 17% of the resort’s current electricity consumption and is equivalent for annual energy consumption of a city with about 14,500 inhabitants. Once the project is completed, a section of the panels will light up at night in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head from above the sky.
“This power plant is an unprecedent project in Europe from a major company like Disneyland Paris,” said Stéphanie Andrieu, CEO of Urbasolar, and Arnaud Mine, President of Urbasolar. “It will be a fully tailor-made project, integrated into Urbasolar’s strategy of innovation on system monitoring and on-site energy management. We are thrilled to be part of this project.”
The project will also contribute towards the resort’s environmental strategy, aiming for a significant reduction in GHG emissions and a full decarbonization of its energy supply.
Urbasolar’s overall efforts that for their vision will focus on six focus areas of the environment: reducing GHG emissions which are; moving toward sustainable waste management – for example, by reducing the use of plastics; preserving water resources, including through the establishment of a wastewater treatment plant; developing a responsible supply chain; preserving and fostering biodiversity and supporting global actions to preserve the environment for future generations.
Geothermal energy is already part of both Disneyland Paris theme parks and the Disneyland Hotel as a result of an innovative plant located at Villages Nature Paris. It uses naturally occurring underground heat and steam to help cover the heating needs for sanitary hot water and heating system of the facilities.
The long development process since 2018 for, Disneyland Paris Hotels have also been participating in the Affichage Environmental initiative officially supported by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Agence of Ecological transition (ADEME).
Further information can be explained on Disneyland Paris’ environmental contribution on their official site by clicking here to learn more.
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Source: WDWNT
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