Harmony Energy has energised France’s largest battery energy storage project at the port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire.
The 100MW/200MW Cheviré facility is the country’s first large-scale, two-hour duration system and is capable of powering about 170,000 homes for two hours.
Built on the site of the former Cheviré fossil fuel power plant, which operated between 1954 and 1986, the project uses Tesla Megapack and Autobidder technology to provide balancing services to the national grid.
Harmony Energy said the battery will help replace fossil fuel peaking plants, improve grid resilience, cut carbon emissions and reduce energy cost volatility.
Chief executive of Harmony Energy France Andy Symonds said the project demonstrated how disused industrial sites could be repurposed to enable sustainable electrification and support the transition to net zero.
Construction began in summer 2024 and energisation was achieved a year later.
The development also includes biodiversity measures and a community benefit fund to support local social and environmental initiatives.