Understanding the natural environment is a critical first step for any international development project. However, obtaining a detailed picture of large, remote areas in global markets has traditionally been a drain on both time and resources.
By leveraging innovative satellite remote sensing data, Blackhall & Powis provides comprehensive environmental studies that significantly reduces risk, time, and costs for our clients worldwide.
Director-led Geospatial Analysis
Led by our Director of Research, David Cooper, and our specialist Land Information and GIS team, we utilise high-resolution satellite imagery to provide actionable insights. Our remote sensing capabilities are designed to inform:
- Baseline Habitat and Species Mapping: Identifying what exists on the ground before a project begins.
- Long-term Habitat Monitoring: Tracking environmental changes over months or years.
- Restoration Opportunities: Identifying key areas for ecological recovery and biodiversity offsets.
Why Choose Remote Sensing Over Traditional Surveys?
Traditional “on-the-ground” surveys are essential but often time-consuming and logistically challenging when applied to vast or inaccessible regions. Our data is updated every few days, capturing repeat imagery to build a robust, “live” picture of the landscape.
While this high-res data can be integrated with ground-truth information, it dramatically reduces the need for physical surveys over long periods, allowing for faster decision-making without sacrificing accuracy.
Proven Global Experience
Our team has a proven track record of supporting species monitoring in some of the most challenging environments in the Middle East and Africa.
Most recently, David Cooper collaborated with the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants in the Arabian Peninsula. Through this partnership, he integrated satellite remote sensing data, GIS datasets and ground survey data to create a machine learning model and resulting map output of habitats over an area the size of Wales. This has provided a crucial baseline assessment for future conservation work within the region. Our expertise allows us to support clients across a variety of sectors, with capabilities including:
- Environmental & Habitat Modelling
- Carbon Credit Market & Sequestration Analysis
- Natural Disaster & Risk Monitoring
- Predictive Species Modelling
Partner With B&P for Your Next Project
Whether you are navigating the complexities of the carbon market or need a baseline environmental assessment for a remote site, B&P provides the clarity you need to move forward with confidence.
Ready to streamline your environmental strategy?
To learn more about our remote sensing capabilities or to discuss a specific project, contact David.
France’s renewable energy sector is at a critical juncture. Having missed its 2020 renewable energy targets, the French government has responded with an ambitious new energy roadmap, the PPE3, confirmed as recently as February 2026 and setting firm targets through to 2050. Offshore wind and solar PV sit at the heart of that plan, with France targeting 48 GW of solar PV capacity and 31 GW of onshore wind by 2030, followed by 15 GW of offshore wind by 2035 (S&P Global). With a significant amount of ground to cover in a short space of time, the opportunity for UK and international developers and partners to get involved has never been more compelling.
Local Knowledge of the French Renewable Energy Market
To support clients looking to move into this market, B&P has brought on board consultant Cédric Gerbier, building on our growing International Business Development team. Cédric is the co-founder and former CEO of Locogen France and an active member of the Global Scot business network, with over 20 years of experience in renewable energy across France and the UK. But beyond the credentials, what Cédric brings is something that’s genuinely hard to find: a deep understanding of how the French market works, how to build the right relationships from day one, and how to turn that knowledge into real opportunities for incoming developers.
Perfect Timing to Support Key Targets
This February, France confirmed its support for offshore wind and solar PV development with the release of its energy strategy plan to the 2050 horizon. France initiated its energy transition over two decades ago and is currently significantly behind target, but seems committed to accelerating and making up for the accumulated delay, making this an ideal opportunity for B&P to implement its market entry plan.
At B&P, we have already demonstrated our capacity to adapt our proven business model and approaches to successfully deliver projects for our clients across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. We fully understand the nature of the commitment required and the challenges associated with opening this new, highly competitive and mature market, often characterised by its administrative red tape and sluggishness. However, we strongly believe that our UK-style approach to development, our successful track record liaising with fisheries and developers, and our extremely powerful GIS capability makes us ideally positioned to add value to the already existing local supply chains. We are extremely excited to meet the local players, demonstrate our know-how and can-do attitude, and build a strong long term presence in a new, neighbouring friendly country.
How B&P Can Support Your Entry into the French Energy Market
We are already active in France, working with a major solar developer to source new opportunities, and we recently completed a project exploring market entry across multiple global markets and continents. If you are looking to do the same, here is how we can help:
- Geospatial analysis and land referencing: Identifying and assessing viable sites across France with precision, using our industry-leading GIS capability
- Stakeholder liaison and management: Building the local relationships that are essential for getting projects off the ground in the French market
- Land acquisition: Navigating the complexities of French land and securing the right agreements in the right locations
- Marine and offshore liaison: Specialist support for developers looking to capitalise on France’s growing offshore wind pipeline
Ready to Explore the French Renewable Energy Market?
France’s energy transition is gathering pace, and the window for developers and partners to establish a strong position in the market is open right now. If you are a UK or international developer looking to take advantage of the opportunities on offer, we would love to have that conversation with you.
Reach out to Cédric directly and let’s talk about what’s possible:
There are huge opportunities for energy projects across the globe, but it can be daunting for developers to step into new markets in continents they haven’t worked in before.
That’s where we come in.
B&P’s Geospatial and International Development team provides a guiding hand with expert knowledge, in-depth research and innovative tools to help our clients understand and identify market-entry opportunities around the world.
We recently completed a six-month project exploring market entry in multiple global markets across several continents. This provided our client with an interdisciplinary study covering market research, legal processes, land tenure systems and land ownership, including both private and government-owned sites, on each continent.
It’s a huge amount of information for developers to delve into, with geospatial analysis as well as detailed research required, sometimes in areas where open-source data isn’t readily available. We do that deep dive for our clients, pulling together all the relevant information into a detailed but digestible package that highlights both challenges and opportunities.
Our global market entry service
Our service includes:
- Geospatial analysis to identify opportunities, from the country level to the cadastral.
- Heat mapping and geovisualisation, taking into account client-specific constraints/requirements.
- Land referencing and research, including legal and land tenure systems and land pricing information.
- Environmental assessments, including irrigation and wind speed levels for different types of technology.
- Review with clients to discuss suitable sites.
- Contact mapping of local partners and landowners with significant land interests.
- Establishing teams for on-the-ground engagement and land assembly.
The strength of this approach is our ability to offer both a wide lens look at large-scale areas of opportunity as well as zooming in to the localised details to mitigate risk and provide confidence for clients to take the next steps.
If you are looking to explore opportunities for global market entry but don’t know where to start, B&P can help. Contact our Director of International Development, Pete Gettinby, pete.gettinby@blackhallpowis.com