Pfalzsolar builds Germany's largest floating PV plant

June 15, 2023

Source: Energy & Management Powernews

The largest floating photovoltaic plant in Germany is to be built in Lusatia. It has a capacity of almost 30 MW and is part of the mega-project called Cottbus Baltic Sea.

Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG (Leag) and project developer EP New Energies GmbH (EPNE) have commissioned Pfalzwerke subsidiary Pfalzsolar to build the floating PV plant on a former open-cast mine site. According to the companies, the planned 29.1 MW plant will be by far the largest floating solar park in Germany.

The official go-ahead for construction is scheduled for January 2024, with grid connection planned for the fourth quarter of 2024.

The transformation of the former Cottbus-Nord open pit mine into a 1,900-hectare artificial lake just outside the Brandenburg city of Cottbus follows coal production from the open pit mine, which ended in 2015. Since 2019, the former open pit has been flooded with Spree water, and almost half of the water volume has already been discharged.

"For me, the entire 'Cottbus Baltic Lake' project is the most exciting and largest project for the recultivation of a mining landscape in Europe. The impact on the entire region is huge," said Lars Josten, managing director of Pfalzsolar GmbH. He added that the project is an example of how combined forces and the combination of different technologies can continue to successfully drive forward the energy turnaround in Germany.

Transformation project Gigafactory

"Germany's largest floating solar plant on the largest mining lake stands for the future use of the unique land potential of Lusatia and consistently fits into our transformation project Gigawatt Factory, with which we want to transform Lusatia into a green powerhouse," said Leag CEO Thorsten Kramer.

As part of the Gigawatt Factory project, a capacity of 7,000 MW from wind power and photovoltaics is to be built up by 2030 - as reported - which, in combination with storage facilities, green hydrogen and future-proof power plants, will enable a sustainable and continuous energy supply.

Pfalzsolar has already installed floating PV plants in Germany and the Netherlands in the past. The company is currently implementing a major project of a very different kind in Mutterstadt, Rhineland-Palatinate. A photovoltaic system with 3.2 MW is being built on the 27,100-square-meter roof of a fruit and vegetable hall belonging to the Pfalzmarkt producers' cooperative (we reported).

Author: Günter Drewnitzky