France: Urbasolar commissions 10 MWc solar park on former military site

Urbasolar, an independent solar power producer, has inaugurated a 10 megawatt-peak (MWp) photovoltaic park on a former military site in Amilly, in the Loiret department. The site, inactive since 2004, previously hosted a fuel supply centre belonging to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. The infrastructure, built in twelve months, is the first completed project under the government’s “Place au soleil” programme, launched in 2020 to repurpose unused military land for solar energy production.

Covering a surface area of nine hectares, the plant includes 17,300 solar modules and now feeds electricity into the grid. It is designed for an estimated annual output of 11,900 megawatt-hours (MWh), equivalent to the average electricity consumption of 5,520 residents.

Military land repurposing and long-term operations

The project follows a call for expressions of interest issued by the Ministry of the Armed Forces to convert its unused sites into renewable energy production areas. Urbasolar was selected to develop, operate and maintain the Amilly solar park, which is the first operational outcome of this land conversion initiative.

The Directorate for Territories, Real Estate and Environment (DTIE), in charge of defence land management, oversaw the institutional coordination of the project. The site was chosen for its topographical characteristics and location away from residential zones. A preliminary assessment was conducted to evaluate technical risks linked to the site’s former use for military fuel storage.

Environmental constraints management and site adaptation

Before construction, a Residual Risk Analysis was conducted to rule out soil pollution or structural instability. This step allowed the solar park deployment to proceed without compromising site safety or the surrounding environment.

A wetland area identified in the southwest section of the site was excluded from the installation footprint to preserve local biodiversity. The spacing between panels was increased to reduce shading and to support the development of local vegetation and wildlife. These measures ensure the facility’s compatibility with ecological restoration efforts.

Commissioned and grid-connected solar facility

The facility is now operational and connected to the power grid. Urbasolar, responsible for operations, expects stable output for base load supply. No on-site storage solutions were implemented, with all generated volumes being directly injected.

The Amilly project sets a precedent for other military sites awaiting redevelopment. The model applied here could be replicated on other available land depending on the technical and financial performance observed in the coming years.