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Plans to create one of the largest renewable energy schemes on local authority land in south-west England are to be drawn up after winning support from councillors.

Dorset Council says, if approved, the solar project at Higher South Buckland Farm, Chickerell, would help meet net-zero energy targets, generate investment and create jobs.

A report to the council’s cabinet said the poor soil quality and topography of the 60 hectare (140 acre) site made it “increasingly uneconomic for conventional farming”.

At a meeting on Tuesday, cabinet members also gave backing to a new strategic partnership with renewable energy developer Source Galileo.

The report said the collaboration would see the UK-based firm advance the Chickerell solar scheme and investigate the potential of other council-owned properties, including car parks, for renewable energy projects.

The proposed site, near Weymouth, is among 41 farms totalling 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) owned by the authority.

Addressing the meeting, councillor Ryan Hope said: “There’s nothing stopping a solar farm still being used for farming purposes – designed correctly, it can still be used for grazing and livestock.

“We need to look at green energy, not just to support the council’s net zero targets but to stabilise this country and reduce the reliance on gas.”

Eutelsat and Paratus, one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest growing network services providers, have signed a new multi-million, multi-year agreement to expand the delivery of Eutelsat’s OneWeb Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity services across Southern Africa. The agreement was formalised on November 12, 2025.

This new multi-year agreement expands the existing partnership between Eutelsat and its long-standing partner, Paratus, to deliver an extended range of LEO services across Southern Africa, including solutions for fixed sites, as well as comms-on-the-move and comms-on-pause in South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.

Paratus has been a long-time distributor of Eutelsat’s GEO connectivity services and was one of the first adopters of its OneWeb LEO connectivity capacities in early 2024. Paratus also built the teleport facility in Angola, a key Eutelsat ground station supporting the deployment of OneWeb LEO services in the region.

Ghassan Murat, RVP MEA, Eutelsat, said: “Demand for resilient and high-speed connectivity continues to grow across Southern Africa, particularly in sectors operating across remote and distributed sites. This new multi-year agreement reflects the success of our collaboration with Paratus and our shared ambition to provide reliable, scalable, low-latency connectivity in the region. By combining Eutelsat’s LEO capabilities with Paratus’ established network and operational presence, we are enabling organisations to stay connected wherever they operate.”

Schalk Erasmus, CEO of Paratus, added: “Expanding our LEO service offering with Eutelsat strengthens our strategy of delivering adaptable and robust connectivity solutions across Africa. The combined GEO and LEO capability allows us to serve customers with greater flexibility and performance. Working together, we are supporting our customers’ growth and digital transformation, even in the most challenging environments.”

About Eutelsat

Eutelsat is a global leader in satellite communications, delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. Eutelsat was formed through the combination of the Company and OneWeb in 2023, becoming the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator with a fleet of 34 Geostationary (GEO) satellites and a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of more than 600 satellites. Eutelsat addresses the needs of customers in four key verticals: Video, where it distributes around 6,400 television channels, and the high-growth connectivity markets of Mobile Connectivity, Fixed Connectivity, and Government Services. Eutelsat’s unique suite of in-orbit assets and ground infrastructure enables it to deliver integrated solutions to meet the needs of global customers. The Company is headquartered in Paris, and Eutelsat employs more than 1,600 people across 75+ countries. Eutelsat is committed to delivering safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable connectivity to help bridge the digital divide.