Vattenfall has begun construction of a 79MW agri-solar project in Germany.
The Tützpatz array, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, will be built without state subsidies and is expected to supply electricity from 2024.
Power and Air Condition Solution Management (PASM), a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is Vattenfall’s partner on the project and will be supplied with electricity from the solar farm.
Agri-PV is the combination of sustainable agriculture and the generation of solar power on one and the same agricultural land.
On a total area of 93 hectares, solar module types will be erected on various frame systems and combined with suitable forms of agricultural use.
Head of Vattenfall’s solar division Claus Wattendrup said: “With the construction of an agri-PV project of this magnitude, we are doing real pioneering work.
“We want to show that sustainable agriculture and energy production can complement each other perfectly.
“With the Tützpatz project, we are now further developing this young technology on a commercial scale.
“We are pleased that PASM has entered into a partnership agreement with us to implement this major project together.
“This is because agri-PV helps the climate and serves as an additional source of income for agriculture.”
Managing director of PASM Bernd Schulte-Sprenger added: The electricity supply contract from the Tützpatz solar park is of particular importance, as it combines green power generation with sustainable agriculture, because free-range chickens will live under the solar panels.
“Thus, the supply of electricity from the Tützpatz solar park can be regarded as a forward-looking project within the framework of the energy transition in Germany.”