Agri-PV electricity for battery cell factory

28.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Stadtwerke Münster supplies green electricity for the Fraunhofer FFB battery research factory.

From November 1, 2025, Stadtwerke Münster will supply 6.36 million kWh of regional green electricity per year for the operation of the "FFB PreFab" battery research factory at the "Battery Center Münster" research site. Fraunhofer FFB has concluded a corresponding power purchase agreement (PPA) with the municipal utility, as detailed in a press release from the research institute.

The electricity will be generated in the city of Münster's first agrivoltaic plant, which is currently being built southwest of the Amelsbüren district on a total area of 13.2 hectares. The system is being constructed as a so-called "tracking PV system", in which the solar modules are optimally aligned with the sun using sensors at all times of the day. The plant construction will only cover around 7.5 percent of the agricultural land, so that it can be used for the further cultivation of grain, rapeseed and field beans.

The green electricity generated will be fed directly to the battery cell factory via a cable laid under the Dortmund-Ems Canal and consumed on site. Based on current know-how and the state of production technology, the researchers expect the production of 1 kWh of battery cell capacity to require around 20 to 40 kWh.

To cover this demand, Fraunhofer FFB is already relying on in-house electricity production from a rooftop PV system and the use of efficient drying technologies and a combined heat pump. "The purchase of green electricity from the Agri-PV system is another effective lever for significantly reducing the carbon footprint of our battery research factory," says Professor Simon Lux, member of the Fraunhofer FFB management team. "Through the purchase agreement with Stadtwerke Münster for green electricity, we are ensuring that the entire battery supply chain at our site is sustainable and future-oriented."

The long-term purchase of the green electricity generated ensures the economic operation of the Agri-PV system and guarantees Fraunhofer FFB stable, calculable energy costs, the press release continues. This also makes it possible to waive the EEG feed-in tariff for the system.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien