Q ENERGY, a company specialised in developing renewable energy projects, has started building a solar park in Cahuzac-sur-Adour, located in the Gers department. With an installed capacity of 8.5 megawatt-peak (MWc), the plant will span 7.5 hectares on a former classified industrial site (ICPE – Installation Classée pour la Protection de l’Environnement), previously used for material crushing and screening operations until 2019. This is Q ENERGY’s first project both developed and built in the department.

A project stemming from seven years of local consultation

Initial discussions with local authorities and elected officials began in 2018. Planning permission was granted in November 2022, and the project was selected in March 2023 under the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) tender as part of the Multiannual Energy Programme (PPE2). Preliminary site works began in late 2024, including road preparation and ground stabilisation. Since February 2025, teams have been working on laying the foundations, assembling the first structures and installing the cable trenches.

Energy redevelopment of a former industrial site

The site’s previous industrial use, dormant since 2019, has enabled its conversion without additional land take. Commissioning is expected by the end of 2025, with projected output sufficient to supply electricity to approximately 4,900 people.

Supporting measures and project framework

The project’s launch meeting took place on 17 January 2025 at the local community hall, attended by the town’s mayor, Mireille Aragnouet, and several municipal councillors. Alongside the construction, support measures will be deployed until the end of the year. These include reshaping a slope to support local wildlife, installing hibernaculums, and placing educational panels along the nearby hiking trail, the “”sentier de l’Adour””.

Véronique Sauzay, Regional Solar Manager at Q ENERGY, acknowledged the role of local authorities in a press release, describing the collaboration as “rigorous and demanding”.