Q ENERGY inaugurated the Chênet solar farm, located in the French municipalities of Sapignicourt and Hauteville in the Marne department.
Built on a former sand and gravel quarry, the 11 MWp solar farm now generates enough locally produced renewable electricity to meet the annual needs of more than 4800 people.
The Chênet solar farm forms part of the redevelopment of a former sand and gravel extraction site that operated between 1992 and 2009. Built on previously developed land, the solar farm now puts nearly 8 ha. of the site to productive use by generating local renewable energy for the benefit of the surrounding area.
Launched in 2021, the project is the result of close collaboration with the relevant local authorities, government services, landowners, and other local stakeholders. The consultation process conducted throughout the project’s development made it possible to take the site’s specific characteristics into account and support the project through to commissioning.
Comprising nearly 18 000 photovoltaic panels across 7.8 ha., the Chênet solar farm has an installed capacity of 11 MWp. Each year, it will generate the equivalent of the electricity consumed by more than 4800 people and avoid approximately 2900 tpy of CO2 emissions.
Sheep also graze beneath the solar panels. This helps maintain the site while restoring an agricultural use to the former quarry, demonstrating how renewable energy generation and livestock farming can coexist on the same land.
Paul Colin, Solar Project Manager at Q ENERGY, commented: “With the Chênet solar farm, a former quarry is now being used both to generate renewable electricity and for sheep grazing. This achievement is the result of constructive dialogue with local stakeholders, which enabled the project to be completed in just five years – a record for a solar farm.”
Although the Chênet solar farm is Q ENERGY’s first operational project in the Marne department, the company has been active in Haute-Marne for several years, where it develops and operates several renewable energy facilities. Across Marne and Haute-Marne, Q ENERGY now has more than 300 MW of installed capacity in operation across two solar farms and seven wind farms.
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