Five years of development for a park that will never see the rays of the sun? The Engie and Neoen project south of the Gironde is in “ stand-by » say several energy and community observers The Tribune. Horizeo, the solar park which was to deploy 1,000 then finally 680 hectares of solar panels for 820 megawatts (MW) of power in the Landes de Gascogne forest is not going to materialize for the moment.
Why Horizeo is reducing the size of its giant solar power plant in Gironde
“Engie had negotiations with the State which led to an agreement to halt the project for two years”confides a solar professional. Which seems to strongly compromise the future of the file as it has been presented so far. Its leaders had submitted their applications for building permits and environmental authorization in February 2024, just before the law definitively prohibited energy park projects on forest areas greater than 25 hectares.
« The project is on standbywe assure on the side of the State. As long as it is not included in national strategic projects, there is no longer a subject. » The administration is clearly not working hard to investigate a file – which is colossal – whose land outcome is so undecided. “There is no break”, however refutes Xavier Barbaro, CEO of Neoen. Engie also ensures that nothing is suspended. “ The instruction is ongoing, it began in February and it must be spread over several monthstempers its partner Engie with La Tribune. We are not in a moment of decision. »
Hostile communities
At the beginning of June, Christophe Béchu nevertheless took one. And it is not favorable to energy companies. The then Minister of Ecological Transition refused to include Horizeo in the list of national strategic projects, the magazine revealed Challenges. A lack of support which undermines the designs of Engie and Neoen because, without this classification, the two partners are dependent on land regulations Zero net artificialization.
A text which forces local authorities to halve the rate of land artificialization over the 2021-2031 decade compared to the previous decade. However, the law to accelerate renewable energies considers that the development of ground-based solar parks may constitute artificialization. If Horizeo sees the light of day on nearly 700 hectares, the communities will find themselves stuck.
On the lands of the Horizeo solar park, the game of seven (rich) families
Benoist Aulanier, vice-president of the community of communes of Montesquieu, warns: “ Our maximum artificialization capacity is 169 hectares over the current decade. On the scale of the Bordeaux area, it is 1,600 hectares. Neither the community of municipalities nor the Metropolis wants its economic development capacity to be undermined by this project. » Energy companies have not been favored by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region either.
Alert on the new government
For the commune of Saucats, the compromised land of Horizeo, a wall presents itself. “If Horizeo does not join the list of national or European strategic projects, that means that there is only one possibility left: that the municipality takes responsibility for land consumption. This is a very difficult decision to make because it would deprive the Saucatais of any construction for 30 to 40 years. Who would want to experience that? »asks Mélanie Tichané, mayor of Saucats since 2023.
If the project comes back on the table, the municipal team will have to choose whether or not to modify its local urban plan to accommodate the park. The arguments are not enough to seduce the city councilors: land deprivation, few jobs, colossal private income… The interest of the project has little to do with local issues but fits well into the national objective of acceleration of renewables. If the state does not view it this way, the solar field will remain a mirage. “Engie thinks that the State can move on this point, their whole challenge is to lobby the new government”informs another source.
Engie Green confirms that all is not lost on this front. “ The project can still be classified as a national or European project, the list is updated every year », we hope at the energy company. The 175 projects registered by the State in June on the advice of communities represent a land envelope of 11,800 hectares out of a maximum potential set at 12,500. When asked, the Ministry of Ecological Transition indicates that “ options are being studied to achieve a similar project » which better reconciles expectations in terms of « consumption of space and biodiversity ».
Solar power plants: sharing value to strengthen their acceptability
Related News :