Germany's BayWa r.e. Builds Central Europe's Largest Floating Solar Plant

• The 24.5 MWp capacity plant in Grafenwörth in the state of Lower Austria covers a location of 14 hectares on 2 artificial lakes of a previous sand and also gravel pit.
• It will create 26,700 MWh of green power per year and also have the ability to provide concerning 7,500 houses.

ECOwind, a subsidiary of German designer, BayWa r.e., together with Austrian power supplier EVN, has built central Europe's largest floating PV array in Austria.

The 24.5 MWp capacity plant in Grafenwörth in the state of Lower Austria covers an area of 14 hectares on two synthetic lakes of a previous sand as well as gravel pit. It will certainly generate 26,700 MWh of green power per year and be able to provide concerning 7,500 homes. The project is the fourth largest floating-PV plant in Europe after 3 projects situated in the Netherlands, which have all been built by BayWa r.e., the company declares. The floating solar plant is the biggest of its kind in Austria and Central Europe.

Floating PV "produces a new function for otherwise unused water surfaces", said Benedikt Ortmann, Global Director of Solar Projects at BayWa r.e. while adding, "With this turnkey floating-PV project, we have actually brought step-by-step enhancements to our already sophisticated systems in the Netherlands."

The firm brought its pilot floating solar system online in the Netherlands in 2018, and has actually now installed floating-PV systems with a complete capacity of over 230 MWp. In 2020, as per Baywa r.e., it completed the largest floating-PV system beyond Asia-- Bomhofsplas plant at 27.4 MWp, which was increased to 29.8 MWp with Uivermeertjes project and 41.4 MWp project Sellingen in 2021. Currently, the company has 12 floating PV installations in the Netherlands. Its very first floating solar projects in APAC region were set up in Thailand with 2.8 MWp, in Germany with 3 MWp, and now, Austria with 24.5 MWp.

The companies will carry out research on the fish populace as well as examine the local dragonfly fauna regularly over numerous years to guarantee the integration of the Grafenwörth project right into the bordering ecosystem,

ECOwind MD Johann Janker stated, "In Grafenwörth, the challenge was to drive authorization procedures and also policies for this new PV application in Austria and to make certain a risk-free building-- which we managed despite a level distinction of 7 metres in between the mounting surface as well as the water."

He further educated, "Besides being rapidly installed and also simple to maintain, floating-PV likewise has the benefit of a higher electricity yield thanks to the cooling effect of water-- making the application a very eye-catching prospect to landowners of unused water bodies."