German steel maker, municipal utility to build 150-MW solar park in Saxony

• German municipal utility SachsenEnergie and neighborhood steelmaker Feralpi Stahl are preparing to jointly construct a 150-MW solar park in the federal state of Saxony to secure a lasting power supply for the business in the region.

The project is still in the very early preparation phase and the companies included are waiting for the green light from the Zeithainer municipal council, Feralpi Stahl stated on Wednesday.

The prepare for the solar energy plant in the Zeithain municipality is sustained by neighborhood municipal utility Stadtwerke Riesae, but the details regarding the engagement of Feralpi Stahl as well as the utility are yet to be cleared.

Discussing the reasons behind Feralpi Stahl's involvement in the project, its director Uwe Reinecke claimed that the business has actually been putting a lot of initiative into decarbonisation and also green steel manufacturing for several years. The steelmaker is currently investing over EUR 200 million (USD 214.34 m) in various projects, consisting of an emission-free spooler rolling mill. In this context, the firm aims to protect a green energy supply, preferably from the region, Reinecke added.

When functional, the prepared solar park will certainly help stay clear of greater than 64,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It will certainly be the biggest solar park in the portfolio of SachsenEnergie which is among the largest municipal utilities in eastern Germany, providing remedies for electricity, gas, heat, water, telecommunications, electric mobility, and smart services.