Engie has begun construction of its first co-located solar and battery project in France, combining 29.8 MW of solar capacity with a 20 MWh battery system to shift electricity delivery to periods of higher grid demand.
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
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