Big Interest For German Ground Mounted Auction

• Bundesnetzagentur's ground mounted solar auction of July 1, 2023 was significantly oversubscribed  
• It secured 516 bids with 4.653 GW combined capacity, even though 1.611 GW was on offer  
• 907 MW was awarded to come up on arable land or grassland and remaining along highways and railways  

The July 1, 2023 auction round for ground mounted solar PV systems in Germany saw record participation with Bundesnetzagentur or the Federal Network Agency receiving 516 bids with a combined 4.653 GW capacity as against 1.611 GW offered.   

"Never before have so many bids been received as in this round.  The lively participation promotes competition," said Bundesnetzagentur President Klaus Müller.  

The agency finally selected 124 bids for 1.673 GW total capacity while excluding 22 bids due to formal errors. The excluded capacity represents less than 5% of the bids submitted, it added. 

Winning bids are well below the ceiling price of €0.0737/kWh, with lowest and highest bids determined as €0.0539/kWh and €0.0665/kWh. Weighted average bid was €0.0647/kWh, much lower than €0.0703/kWh discovered in the previous round (see Germany Announces Oversubscribed PV Auction).   

Among the selected projects, most were awarded for arable land or grassland representing 907 MW capacity, followed by 681 MW to come up on hard shoulders along the side of highways and railways.  

Geographically, Bavaria once again takes the cake with 741 MW, followed by Lower Saxony's 169 MW and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's 147 MW.   

The list of selected projects, their capacities and locations can be viewed on the agency's website. The next round of tender for ground mounted solar systems will take place on December 1, 2023.  

 In July 2023, Bundesnetzagentur reported an oversubscribed auction for the rooftop solar segment, receiving bids for 342 MW against 191 MW tendered, finally awarding 193 MW (see Oversubscribed Rooftop PV Auction In Germany).