Haute-Saintonge: The photovoltaic project in Saint-Martin-de-Coux rejected by the prefecture

Indeed, on August 8th, the prefect of Charente-Maritime issued an order refusing the building permit for the ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant project, which was scheduled to be completed in 2027. "We were notified a week ago, as was the town hall," explains Dominique Petit. The prefecture appears to have taken into account the unfavorable opinions on the project already expressed by the Municipal Council, the Haute-Saintonge Community of Municipalities, and the Departmental Commission for the Preservation of Natural, Agricultural, and Forest Areas (Cdpenaf).

It is worth recalling that the French company Reden was behind the project to install 5 hectares of photovoltaic panels at the La Sausière site, representing an investment of €9.5 million. An independent energy producer and manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, Reden specializes in the development, construction, and operation of solar power plants in France and abroad. Founded in 2008 in the heart of the Lot-et-Garonne region, the group now has 1 GW of installed capacity across 800 operational sites and employs more than 250 people in nine countries.

We visited all the elected officials and organizations that had to provide an opinion to the prefecture.

For the members of the association, the prefectural decree is therefore a victory. "From the beginning, we fought to stop this project within the framework of our association. We opposed this project from the moment it was announced on July ¹ , 2024, in order to preserve our landscapes, our valley, and the value of our properties. We visited all the elected officials and organizations that had to give their opinion to the prefecture. Today, we also feel that we have been heard. Our collective and persistent commitment has paid off!" the members of the association continued.

A possible appeal