From pv magazine Germany
The Rhenish region in North Rhine-Westphalia was once dominated by open-cast mining. Now the reclaimed areas are to become a symbol of the energy transition and structural change.
German energy company RWE announced on Tuesday the construction of several PV systems with a total capacity of 86.5 MW. They are to be built east and west of the A44n motorway between Bedburg and Jüchen on the former Garzweiler open-cast mine site. RWE plans to commission the photovoltaic systems by the end of the year.
The project marks a further step toward the goal of building at least 500 MW of new solar and wind generation capacity in the region. The energy company intends to increasingly focus on areas along highways.
“These projects not only benefit from faster approval processes but in most cases also enjoy a much higher level of public acceptance,” said Katja Wünschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia.
RWE has already implemented various PV projects in the region. Agrivoltaics is being tested in a demonstration plant in the immediate vicinity. The energy company already operates a total of seven photovoltaic systems in the region, four of which are combined with battery storage systems. Further projects are planned.
“There is plenty of space in and around our opencast mines that we are also using for solar projects,” added Lars Kulik, CTO for lignite at RWE Power. “The new plants are taking shape on recultivated land, and they are connected via the grid infrastructure at Garzweiler opencast mine.”
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