BELECTRIC Commissions 96-Megawatt Solar Farm in Home Municipality

• Commissioning of a photovoltaic system with an installed capacity of 96-Megawatt Peak
• Herleshof solar farm, close to BELECTRIC’s headquarters in Kolitzheim, is the largest in the county
• Creation of several habitat compensation areas for endangered bird species

Kolitzheim (Germany) – BELECTRIC, member of Elevion Group, is commissioning a solar farm not far from its headquarters in the municipality of Kolitzheim, with an installed capacity of 96.7-megawatt peak (MWp). To foster local biodiversity, more than 16 hectares of habitat compensation areas for endangered bird species have been created around the county’s largest solar power plant. A large-scale battery storage system is intended to contribute to grid stabilisation in the future.

BELECTRIC has successfully commissioned the Herleshof solar farm and therefore the largest photovoltaic plant in the county of Schweinfurt, Germany. The solar power plant close to BELECTRIC's headquarters has an installed capacity of 96.7 MWp and extends over three project areas, which together are 1.6 times the size of Munich’s Theresienwiese. More than 165,000 installed modules now produce around 105 gigawatt hours (GWh) of solar power per year. The majority of the modules used are bifacial, which means they can absorb solar radiation from both the front and back of the module and are therefore particularly efficient.

Additionally, in the future an approximately 35-megawatt battery storage system with a capacity of around 70 megawatt hours is to be built near the solar park, which is currently in the final planning phase. The large-scale storage system is expected to make a significant contribution to grid stabilisation in the region. If the grid connection request is approved, this will be the largest storage project in Lower Franconia.

“We are proud to make a significant contribution to the local energy transition in our home municipality with the construction of this solar farm. The project combines an impressive size with state-of-the-art technology, wildlife protection, and the close cooperation of everyone involved. Thanks in part to the great framework conditions created by the municipality of Kolitzheim for solar farms, the plant is a prime example of how solar growth can be efficiently implemented in Germany”, explains Dr Thorsten Blanke, Managing Director of BELECTRIC, member of Elevion Group.

To support local biodiversity, BELECTRIC has created numerous habitat compensation areas around the large-scale project. More than 16 hectares offer protection for endangered bird species such as ortolans, skylarks, and partridges. The German solar company has also erected several kilometres of species protection fencing to safeguard the surrounding biotopes, particularly during the construction phase. Finally, the solar plant will be landscaped with hedges matching the natural landscape and become home to several bee colonies from a local beekeeper.

Following the successful construction, BELECTRIC is now also taking over the operation of the plant itself as an energy producer as well as the maintenance and servicing (O&M) of the project.