Q ENERGY Inaugurates 11 MWp Chênet Solar Farm on Former Quarry Site in France

Q ENERGY has inaugurated the 11 MWp Chênet solar farm in the French municipalities of Sapignicourt and Hauteville in the Marne department. The project, commissioned on September 24, 2026, has been developed on a former sand and gravel quarry.

The solar farm spans 7.8 hectares and comprises nearly 18,000 photovoltaic panels. It is expected to generate enough renewable electricity annually to meet the equivalent consumption of more than 4,800 people.

The Chênet project is part of the redevelopment of a former extraction site that operated between 1992 and 2009. The project puts nearly eight hectares of previously developed land to productive use for local renewable energy generation.

Q ENERGY launched the project in 2021 and worked with local authorities, government services, landowners, and other stakeholders throughout its development. The company said the consultation process helped address the specific characteristics of the site and support the project through commissioning.

The solar farm is also being used for sheep grazing, allowing agricultural activity to coexist with renewable energy generation. Sheep grazing will contribute to vegetation management while restoring an agricultural use to part of the former quarry site.

According to Q ENERGY, the facility is expected to avoid approximately 2,900 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Paul Colin, Solar Project Manager at Q ENERGY, said the project demonstrates how a former quarry can be repurposed for renewable electricity generation and livestock farming. He also noted that the project was completed in five years, which the company described as a record timeframe for one of its solar farms.

The Chênet solar farm marks Q ENERGY’s first operational solar project in the Marne department. The company has also been developing renewable energy projects in the neighbouring Haute-Marne department for several years.

Across Marne and Haute-Marne, Q ENERGY currently has more than 300 MW of installed renewable energy capacity in operation, comprising two solar farms and seven wind farms.