Substation for Bavaria's Largest Solar Farm Is Complete
Bayernwerk Netz GmbH has handed over the new 110-kV substation to Blue Elephant Energy, thereby laying the groundwork for feeding electricity from one of Germany's largest photovoltaic projects into the grid.
November 5, 2026
Source: E & M powernews
Distribution network operator Bayernnetz has handed over the 110-kV substation in Schafhöfen, Upper Palatinate, to solar park operator Blue Elephant Energy.
Construction of the Schafhöfen solar park in the Regensburg district of Bavaria is progressing. Bayernwerk Netz GmbH handed over the new 110-kV substation to the project developer Blue Elephant Energy, the latter announced. Bayernwerk was responsible for planning, permitting, and construction.
According to the operator, the Schafhöfen solar park, with a capacity of 268 MW, is set to be one of the largest ground-mounted PV plants in Germany. Commissioning is scheduled for summer 2027. The solar park is directly connected to the high-voltage grid via the 110-kV feed-in substation.
Two battery storage systems are also planned. Initially, a green electricity storage system will store only solar power from the site, before a grid-supporting gray electricity storage system is added in a subsequent phase, which will also be able to draw energy from the public grid, the statement continues.
It is not unusual for grid operators to plan and construct substations for large renewable energy projects and then transfer them to project companies or plant operators. Particularly in the case of large solar and wind farms, the necessary grid connection facilities are often implemented through close collaboration between the grid operator and the project developer. The specific terms of ownership and operation are set forth in a contract.
According to Bayernwerk Netz, the project represents a unique case, says Managing Director Nick Seeger. “The Schafhöfen solar park serves as a beacon: in terms of its size, the speed of its implementation, and—in the next step—the improvement in system compatibility.” Bayernwerk made an important contribution to the project through the planning, permitting, and construction of “the largest feed-in substation we have built to date.”
Author: Stefan Sagmeister
