French energy company Engie has started construction of a 29.8 MW solar plant paired with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Saint-Jean-Froidmentel, in France’s Centre-Val de Loire region. The project, known as Parc du Buisson, is the company’s first co-located solar and storage development in France.
The plant is being built on a former quarry site spanning 23 hectares and will feature nearly 46,000 solar panels. The battery system will have a power output of 8.8 MW, allowing it to discharge for more than two hours at full power.
The batteries will store some of the electricity generated when solar production is abundant and release it when grid demand is higher. This will shift the timing of electricity delivery, add flexibility to the power system and help align solar generation with periods when it is more useful to the grid.
Engie says it has 10.7 GW of energy storage capacity in operation and under construction worldwide.
The solar plant and battery system will share the same site and an approximately 11 km grid connection to a substation. According to Engie, this approach reduces the number of grid connection requests, lowers associated costs and improves the economics of both installations.
Construction began in September 2026 with earthworks and access roads. The next stages include foundations, installation of mounting structures and solar modules, and deployment of battery containers and electrical equipment.
Grid connection is scheduled for summer 2027, with the entire project expected to enter operation in December 2027.
The project is expected to generate €122,000 ($137,000) in annual tax revenue for local authorities. The municipality will also receive nearly €90,000 through Engie’s “Bon Énergie” scheme.
From pv magazine France
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].
Comments
Please login to comment
Monday, November 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, November 2, 2026
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, October 29, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, November 5, 2026
10:00 am – 11:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new issue of pv magazine Global is out now!
Available in print and digital – get your copy today!
pv magazine USA hosts its multi-day virtual event on U.S. solar and energy storage, covering domestic manufacturing, distributed energy and the growing role of solar-plus-storage in meeting AI-driven power demand.
pv magazine hosts its four-day virtual event on European solar and energy storage, exploring market opportunities, solar-plus-storage business cases, technical quality, and cybersecurity in the years ahead.
Join pv magazine for an expert session exploring quality, technology and the challenges of scaling India’s solar industry.
Friday, October 23, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, October 26, 2026
10:30 am – 11:30 am CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
You have no items in your basket.
