- Germany becomes home to the largest operational solar power plant in Europe with 605 MW capacity
- Shell Energy Europe is in contract with the project’s investor to offtake power from 600 MW capacity
- Project developer Move On Energy plans to add another 45 MW on its own to expand it to 650 MW
Europe’s ‘largest’ solar power plant is now online in Germany with 605 MW capacity, commissioned by solar developer Move On Energy. The latter plans to expand it by an additional 45 MW which is planned to be grid-connected by summer this year.
The Witznitz Energy Park is located in Leipzig and has been feeding electricity into the grid since the end of Q1/2024. It is connected to the transmission network of 50Hertz Transmission GmbH.
Hansainvest Real Assets owns the entire 605 MW capacity which is contracted to be supplied to Shell Energy Europe under a long-term power purchase agreement from 600 MW capacity. It was signed in 2023. The project had been under construction since June 2022 (see Shell Announces 600 MW Solar PPA In Germany).
The additional 45 MW, which will expand the project’s overall installed capacity to 650 MW, will be added by Move On Energy on its own. It will then include around 1.1 million solar modules to cover the average annual electricity consumption of close to 200,000 4-person households, according to the investor.
Project promoters plan to test agricultural activities on site by using the area under the solar modules. They will use 5 to 10 hectares of land to test for the purpose.
The Witznitz Energy Park takes over the crown of the largest operational solar project in Europe from Iberdrola’s 590 MW Francisco Pizarro in Spain that was grid-connected in August 2022 (see Iberdrola Puts 590 MW Francisco Pizzaro Project Into Operation).
However, it may be replaced soon by a larger project as Rezolv Energy announced a 1.04 GW solar project with 135 MW storage in Romania. Iberdrola too is working on a 1.2 GW solar plant in Portugal for which it secured an environmental approval in 2023 (see Europe’s Largest Solar Power Farm Planned In Portugal).
