German developer installs 170 MW of solar at former coal mine

GP Joule and Trina Solar have finished building a 170 MW solar project on a former lignite opencast mine in Brandenburg, Germany.

Almost 9.5 TWh of solar power were fed into the public grid in July, more than in June 2024 and 24% higher than in July 2023.

Image: GP Joule

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From pv magazine Germany

Trina Solar and German developer GP Joule have finished building a 170 MW solar plant on a former lignite opencast mine in Klettwitz, in the German state of Brandenburg. The first 90 MW section of the plant has been operational since May 2022.

The project is part of the Lausitz energy park, which is one of the largest ground-mounted PV facilities in Germany, at 300 MW. The Klettwitz mine in Schipkau, Brandenburg, is one of the largest brownfield sites in Europe and is highly contaminated. 

“When it comes to reallocating and rehabilitating former brownsites, solar plants on conversion sites are an absolute must,” said Gonzalo de la Viña, president EMEA of Trina Solar. “Our Vertex modules provide many benefits to any country, city, or municipality looking to convert a contaminated brownsite. Through innovation, efficiency, and a commitment to excellence, Trina Solar has reached new levels of enabling environmental rehabilitation.”

Last spring, GP Joule said that it wanted to complete the rest of the Lausitz Energy Park by the fall. It said that the solar power would be partly used to produce green hydrogen.

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