RWE has begun producing power from a solar-storage plant in Germany that has been built on an opencast mine site.
The 14MW plant has been built on the Inden lignite opencast mine in the district of Düren, in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The “RWE indeland Solarpark” hosts around 26,500 solar panels.
Katja Wünschel, CEO Onshore Wind and Solar Europe & Australia of RWE Renewables, said: “With the RWE indeland solar park, we are making an important contribution to the energy transition in Germany.
“And that’s just the beginning: In our home market, we will realise every wind and solar project that is possible.
“By the end of the decade, we want to invest around 4 billion euros gross in the green energy world in North Rhine-Westphalia alone.”
Lars Kulik, member of the Executive Board of RWE Power responsible for lignite, added: “The RWE indeland solar park is a visible sign that structural change and the energy transition can succeed.
“There is plenty of space for renewables on our opencast mining sites. We will use this to ensure that the area remains an energy location in the future.”
The RWE indeland solar park was built on a gravel area of around 15 hectares on the western edge of the Inden opencast mine.
After the end of the opencast mine at the end of 2029, this area will be lakeshore, provide 20 years to use the site to host a clean energy plant.