EnBW has put its 80MW solar park in Langenenslingen-Wilflingen in Germany into operation.
This makes the plant currently the largest solar park in Baden-Württemberg with construction taking about a year, and the plant covers an area of around 80 hectares.
Peter Heydecker, member of the board of management for sustainable generation infrastructure at EnBW, said: “When such a large-scale project goes from construction to operation, it is always something special.
“It is particularly pleasing when, as here, it succeeds on schedule and at the same time well below the forecasted costs.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the project for this; at EnBW, at our partners and suppliers and, of course, in the municipality and the responsible offices.
“That was only possible because we all pulled together.”
Overall, the costs for the solar park, which EnBW built without state subsidies, are in the mid-double-digit million range.
The electricity generated in Langenenslingen is fed into the grid around four kilometres away in Beuren.
It is connected to the region’s 110 kilovolt high-voltage grid via its own substation.
Planning for the solar park began at EnBW in 2019. They were supported in securing land and urban land use planning by the project developer SolNet.
The detailed technical planning and project optimisation were carried out by EnBW.
In March 2020, the lease agreement was signed and in June of the same year, the decision to set up the lease was passed.
The land-use procedure was completed with the bylaw resolution at the end of 2022.
In June 2023, EnBW then received the building permit. Construction started in February 2024.
Langenenslingen’s mayor Andreas Schneider said: “This is a special moment for our municipality: We have the largest solar park in the entire state – and this shows the prominent role that we and our entire region will play in the energy supply of the future.
“But this project also strengthens our community financially. So we have a lot to celebrate at the official opening of the facility.
“The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place in July 2025. High-ranking representatives from politics are expected to attend.
EnBW paid particular attention to the interests of people and nature during the implementation.
A comprehensive preliminary archaeological investigation and the supervision of the civil engineering work ensured that possible historical finds were preserved, it said.
In close cooperation with the municipality and the local authorities, EnBW defined compensatory and replacement measures to protect and promote the native flora and fauna.