Neoen has launched construction of three new solar farms in France with a combined capacity of 230MWp, all scheduled to enter operation by 2028.
The company said notices to proceed have been issued to Equans Solar & Storage, which will deliver the solar plants along with two 225kV substations connecting the projects to RTE’s transmission network. Neoen will retain long-term ownership and operation of the assets, while Equans will provide maintenance services for 20 years.
The largest project, the 147MWp Le Couret agrisolar farm in Haute-Vienne, was developed in partnership with the municipalities of Lussac-les-Églises and Saint-Martin-le-Mault, as well as the local chamber of agriculture. Spanning 170 hectares, the scheme integrates agricultural activity, including support for a young livestock farmer and two apprentices, together with facilities for managing a flock of around 700 sheep.
Electricity from Le Couret will supply the equivalent annual demand of the Paris–Marseille high-speed rail line under a 25-year power purchase agreement signed with SNCF Energie in June 2024.
The remaining projects – Matignicourt (35MWp) and Isle-sur-Marne (48MWp) – are located around one kilometre apart on land managed by the municipalities of Perthois-Bocage and Der in La Marne. Awarded in 2024 under France’s CRE tender scheme, both sites will connect to a substation in Favresse, approximately nine kilometres to the north.
Matignicourt will be Neoen’s first floating solar farm, with panels installed across four lakes and two ground-mounted areas. The project also includes biodiversity measures such as a bird-nesting raft and biohuts. Isle-sur-Marne, developed on a former quarry, is set to become the largest solar farm in La Marne.
Neoen said it now has close to 1.5GW of solar capacity either operating or under construction in France.
“We are delighted to see these projects under way,” said Guillaume Decaen, chief executive of Neoen France. “They are among France’s largest solar farms.”
Equans chief executive Elisabeth Benedetto added: “We are very honored to be working with the Neoen teams on the construction of these three solar farms, and we thank them for their renewed trust.
“At Equans Solar & Storage, we combine our proven expertise in large solar farms, our experience in innovative projects such as floating solar, and our recognized know-how in transmission and distribution, particularly in substations for RTE.”
Xavier Barbaro, Neoen group chief executive, said: “I congratulate our team in France for these impressive achievements.”
