The Ambitious Horizeo Project Faces Setbacks
The Horizeo project was envisioned to be the largest solar farm in Europe, capable of supplying electricity to the entire Bordeaux metropolitan area, serving more than 750,000 residents. For nearly three years, project developers Engie and Neoen, who have invested €600 million, have been holding public meetings and lobbying local officials, regional authorities, and residents to support this venture covering nearly 1,000 hectares near Saucats, south of Bordeaux. However, in early June, a dramatic turn of events occurred when Christophe Béchu, the Minister of Ecological Transition, expressed his disapproval of this massive project to Neoen.
Deforestation Concerns
The minister highlighted the extensive deforestation of nearly 1,000 hectares of Landes forest. Installing millions of solar panels requires clearing the land and employing numerous excavators to strip these hundreds of hectares of pine trees. « These trees would be cut down every thirty years anyway; we’re just shortening the cycle and will compensate by doubling the planted area, » the project initiators argued. However, the minister, aware that his tenure might soon end, did not want to authorize such a large-scale deforestation. Christophe Béchu pointed out the inadequacy of the compensations and strongly suggested that the project developers find an alternative, less forested location.
