Neoen has announced two battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in France and Japan, expanding its footprint in both markets with installations totaling 348 MW and 896 MWh.

From pv magazine France

Neoen has announced two new BESS projects in France and Japan, as part of the Franco-Japanese Economic Forum in Tokyo during an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The company, a subsidiary of Canadian asset manager Brookfield, is developing its first large-scale installation in Japan while expanding its storage portfolio in France.

The French project, located in Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine in the Seine-et-Marne department, will have a capacity of 248 MW and 496 MWh. It is expected to be the largest battery in the country and the first to connect to the 400 kV transmission network operated by RTE.

Situated near the Chesnoy substation, the system will provide frequency and voltage regulation services to the Île-de-France grid. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2026, with commissioning planned for 2028, subject to additional environmental studies.

This marks Neoen’s second major storage project in France, following the Breizh Big Battery (92 MW/183 MWh) in Pleyber-Christ, Brittany, which the company said is nearing completion.

Neoen said the project also reflects its ongoing industrial partnership with Japan-based Nidec, with this being the twelfth battery project the two companies have developed together. Nidec will supply the battery units, assemble them at its production facility in La Fouillouse near Saint-Étienne, and provide maintenance services for 20 years.

In parallel, Neoen is launching its first investment in Japan with the Ako Battery project in Hyogo prefecture. The facility will have a capacity of 100 MW and 400 MWh. The company is partnering with France’s Equans and Japan’s Toho, and signed a grid connection agreement with Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) in January 2026. Construction is expected to begin in the coming months, with commissioning targeted for 2028.

Globally, Neoen has a battery portfolio of 2.8 GW and 8.1 GWh in operation or under construction across Australia, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Sweden, and El Salvador. The company aims to install an additional 10 GW of capacity by 2030.