Bpifrance invests in French geothermal firm Arverne
Drilling rig of Arverne on site in Jonzac, Charente-Maritime (source: Arverne)
Alexander Richter
3 Jun 2025
Public investment bank Bpifrance has invested in Arvene Group, strengthening its position as a major player in the French geothermal market.
French public investment bank Bpifrance acquired 1,709,740 existing Arverne Group shares, representing 4.29% of the share capital and 4.91% of the voting rights, as part of an off-market block sale. This transaction will be accompanied by the appointment of a representative of Bpifrance to the Board of Directors, initially as censor, then as a director, whose appointment will be proposed no later than the first general meeting of Arverne Group shareholders following the combined general meeting of June 18, 2025.
Becoming Arverne Group’s shareholder is fully in line with Bpifrance’s strategy of supporting players in the ecological and energy transition and in the reindustrialisation of France. Convinced of the relevance of its business model, at the heart of the challenges of decarbonisation, energy sovereignty and sovereign supply of critical materials, Bpifrance wishes to support the company in its development.
Arverne Group is positioning itself as a major player in the French market for geothermal solutions, by developing two strategic areas: the supply of geothermal heat for its public and private network customers and industrial operators, and an innovative concept for extracting lithium from Alsatian brines, which are rich in this strategic metal for the battery industry. Drilling is the keystone of any activity involving the subsoil, so Arverne Group has developed an integrated model from exploration and drilling to production and sales to end users. As a fast-growing and mission-driven company, the Group’s projects contribute to the prosperity of local communities. Through subsidiaries like Lithium de France and Arverne
Drilling Services, the company aims to develop sustainable energy solutions.
Pierre Brossollet, Founder and Chairman & CEO of Arverne Group stated : “We are particularly pleased and proud that Bpifrance has become a shareholder in our company. Its commitment to us is a strong endorsement of our vision and strategy. This partnership marks a key stage in Arverne Group’s development and will strengthen our ability to deploy our roadmap to reach an annual production capacity of 4 TWh of geothermal heat and 27,000 tons of geothermal lithium by 2031.”
José Gonzalo, Executive Director, Bpifrance’s Development Capital Division, added : “Bpifrance is proud to support Arverne Group in its development, convinced by its strong market potential. This investment is a perfect illustration of Bpifrance’s mission: to help innovative players to emerge with sustainable solutions, firmly rooted in the local areas and strategic to France’s energy sovereignty and reindustrialisation.”
The investment by Bpifrance is expected to bolster Arverne’s capacity to expand its operations, supporting France’s broader objectives of energy independence and decarbonisation.
Source: Official Press Release to the Stock Market
