Germany: RWE has started construction of a new utility-scale solar park at the Hambach opencast mine in Germany’s Rhein-Erft district.
The “Manheimer Bucht” solar project is being developed in the municipality of Kolpingstadt Kerpen. Around 25,300 solar modules are being installed across an area equal to nearly 20 football pitches. Parts of the substructure and several modules have already been put in place.
The solar farm is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Once operational, it will have a capacity of 16.5 MWp (14.8 MWac) and is expected to generate enough electricity to supply around 5,000 households annually.
The project site forms part of the future lake area planned for the Hambach opencast mine. Since filling the lake will take several decades, RWE is using approved sections of the area to expand renewable energy capacity.
Alongside the solar park, RWE plans to build a co-located battery energy storage facility with a capacity of 80 MWh. Construction of the storage system is scheduled to begin this summer, with commissioning planned for the end of 2026. The facility is expected to support grid stability.
RWE already operates three solar farms and one battery storage system at the Hambach site together with NEULAND HAMBACH GmbH, representing nearby municipalities. These existing solar projects have a combined capacity of 61 MWp.
Source: RWE
