Axelle Foix
When did you join Natural Power?
I joined Natural Power almost six years ago.
What does a typical workday look like?
I mainly work on technical audits of projects, particularly solar and wind, at various stages of development. During these audits, carried out as part of the sale, purchase, or financing of projects, I review all technical aspects, such as authorizations and environmental matters, design, construction contracts, grid connection, as well as operation and maintenance contracts… in order to identify residual risks and propose mitigation measures.
As a renewable energy technical consultant, we can also be asked to provide broader technical advice, for example on project lifetime extension, CAPEX and OPEX expectations, or market trends.
I also manage and organize the workload of the “Audit and Advisory” team in France, in close coordination with the wider group of consultants.
With support from the commercial team, I prepare proposals and quotes for upcoming audits.
What are the most challenging parts of your work?
In my job, deadlines are often very tight and demanding. It’s therefore essential to be well-organized and able to deliver high-quality work within generally constrained timelines.
It’s also difficult to precisely anticipate the upcoming workload, which sometimes makes managing the team complex.
Fortunately, the team is flexible and large enough across the group to find solutions.
Which parts of your work do you find the most interesting, and why?
Large international transactions are fascinating; they involve interaction with a wide range of stakeholders (colleagues from other countries, local subcontractors, other advisors, etc.) and often offer the opportunity to work simultaneously on multiple technologies (solar, wind, storage, for example) in different countries.
Supporting my colleagues during busy periods, mentoring, and training younger team members until they become autonomous is also a very satisfying part of my job!
How has the renewable energy sector evolved since you started working in it?
I started working in the renewable energy sector at the very beginning of the wind market in France, in 2002.
Since then, the market has become much more structured and professional, now requiring a much higher and more in-depth level of expertise.
In recent years, we’ve observed rapid growth in solar and storage projects, especially in countries where grid connection constraints are particularly strong.
I’ve also noticed an increase in corporate PPA negotiations for solar and wind projects, with IPPs increasingly choosing to abandon state support mechanisms, which were once preferred.
Today, we can say that the renewable energy sector in France is very dynamic and diverse, both technologically and economically. Given the current challenges, I feel like this is just the beginning!