Neoen launches three new solar farms in France with a total capacity of 230 MWp

Neoen has started construction of three solar farms in France—building the 147 MWp Le Couret agrisolar farm in Haute-Vienne with local authorities and agricultural partners, plus the 48 MWp Isle-sur-Marne and 35 MWp Matignicourt floating solar farms on former quarry land in La Marne in collaboration with the Perthois-Bocage and Der federation of municipalities and construction partner Equans Solar & Storage. 

Le Couret agrisolar farm was developed in close consultation with local authorities in Lussac-les-Eglises and Saint-Martin-le-Mault in the Haute-Vienne department. Sized at 147 MWp and covering 170 hectares, and launched in 2018, Le Couret was developed with input from the local chamber of agriculture, which played an active role in selecting the farmer. The chamber of agriculture will provide technical support for the management of the 700 sheep while Neoen is upgrading and building new farm buildings. In line with the 25-year PPA signed in June 2024 with SNCF Energie for the supply of green energy for trains, the electricity produced by the farm will cover the equivalent of the annual supply for the high-speed Paris-Marseille line.

Matignicourt (35 MWp), Neoen’s first floating solar farm and Isle-sur-Marne (48 MWp) solar farms are both being built on land managed by the federation of municipalities of Perthois-Bocage and Der, in the department of La Marne. The projects were awarded in 2024 under the French government’s energy regulation commission (CRE) call for tenders. Located 1 km apart, they are built on a former quarry. The farms will be connected to a high-voltage substation located 9 km north, in the commune of Favresse. The solar panels will be installed over four lakes, and there are also two ground-mounted areas. In accordance with the “Avoid, Reduce, Compensate” philosophy, Neoen has devised a bird nesting raft and biohuts (artificial nurseries) to encourage the development of marine life. The Isle-sur-Marne solar farm will be the largest solar farm in La Marne.  It will be ground-mounted on the site of a disused quarry, giving it a new lease of life. 

Construction of the three solar farms and the two 225 kV substations linking them to the French transmission grid operated by RTE has been awarded to Equans Solar & Storage, a subsidiary of Bouygues. Neoen has issued notices to proceed, formally launching construction of the projects and their grid connections. Neoen will retain ownership and act as the long-term operator of the facilities, while Equans will provide maintenance services for 20 years. All assets are scheduled to enter into operation by 2028.