Neoen to build France’s biggest BESS at 496 MWh, enters Japanese market

French renewable energy multinational Neoen announced new developments in its native market of France, along with a second announcement marking its first entry into the growing Japanese energy storage market.

First, Neoen has launched what it claims will be France’s biggest battery, due to begin construction in summer of this year. The 200 MW/496 MWh BESS will support the Île-de-France electricity network. It is expected to be operational in 2028 and will be the region Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine, some 90 kilometers southeast of Paris, where it will be connected to RTE’s 400 kV high voltage transmission network.

The Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine battery’s integration into the French electricity network is being carefully managed, according to Neoen. A special committee has been set up for community engagement work prior to the start of construction. Neoen will also fund local projects related to sustainable development and it is working on a scheme for residents to receive vouchers aimed at helping them reduce their energy bills.

Neoen France CEO, Guillaime Decaen, said the new battery comes 10 years after Neoen delivered France’s largest solar farm at Cestas, and would demonstrate the value of large-scale storage in the nation’s energy mix.

It will also strengthen Neoen’s longstanding collaboration with Japan’s Nidec. The Japanese company will assembling the packs for the French battery at its new French production facility in La Fouillouse, near Saint-Étienne. Nidec will also be responsible for the maintenance of the Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine storage system for the next 20 years.

Xavier Barbaro, Group CEO of Neoen, said the agreement marks the 12th battery it is building with Nidec as a partner. The two have more than 1 GWh of capacity in their shared portfolio.

In addition, Neoen is investing in the 100 MW/400 MWh Ako BESS in the Hyogo Prefecture in Kansai, Japan. The Ako battery will begin construction in the coming months following the notice to proceed, with a completion date set for 2028. Neoen and its fellow French company Equans and Japan’s Toho all have obtained a grid connection agreement with network operator Kansai Electric Power Company.

Neoen made both the French and Japan-based battery announcements during the French president’s state visit to Tokyo. The company already has a team on the ground in Tokyo, where it intends to take full advantage of the increasingly attractive Japanese energy storage market.

“We are delighted to be able to make this announcement during President Macron’s visit to Japan, illustrating the ability of our two countries to cooperate and work together on the energy transition,” said Barbaro.

In addition to Japan, the French energy giant’s storage capacity spans Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and El Salvador, with 2.8 GW/8.1 GWh of batteries in operation or under construction.