A new solar power plant, the second largest in France by capacity, inaugurated in the Oise region

The power plant has a maximum power of 202 megawatts-peak (MWp), thus relegating the Marville (Meuse) photovoltaic power plant and its 152 MWp to third place nationally, while remaining far from the most powerful in France, that of Cestas (Gironde) with its 300 MWp.

The site required six years of development, for a total investment of 150 million euros. It is expected to produce the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 85.000 people, according to its operator Photosol, a subsidiary of the French group Rubis.

Originally planned for the end of 2022, its commissioning has been delayed, mainly due to the length of the building permit authorization procedures and "the integration of all environmental and regulatory requirements", according to Photosol.

Extensive pyrotechnical decontamination work was also required beforehand on this airbase, which has been decommissioned since 2016 and was bombed during the Second World War.

The power plant was gradually brought into service, in stages, from February 2025 to April of this year.

Its more than 330.000 panels stretch as far as the eye can see across 147 hectares, the equivalent of more than 200 football fields. Another hundred hectares have been maintained as natural meadow to preserve local flora and fauna.

In addition, approximately 140 additional hectares "are subject to actions to restore and improve biodiversity", as part of environmental "compensation", Photosol emphasizes in its press kit.

As of March 31 of this year, the power of the entire photovoltaic park connected in France reached 33 GW (+23% year-on-year), according to government data.

In the first quarter, gross solar electricity production represented the equivalent of 4,6% of the country's electricity consumption (excluding self-consumption), according to the same data.