RWE installing 86.5 MW of PV systems along motorway in western Germany

PV power plants are set to be connected to the grid by the end of the year, with RWE conducting trials of agrivoltaic systems nearby and installing hybrid power plants with storage.

The PV systems located along the A44n motorway are expected to be linked to the grid before the year concludes, as per information from RWE.

Formerly dominated by open-cast mining, the Rhenish region in North Rhine-Westphalia is now being transformed into a representation of the energy transition and structural change. RWE recently revealed plans to construct multiple PV systems totaling 86.5 MW capacity, to be situated to the east and west of the A44n motorway between Bedburg and Jüchen on the former Garzweiler open-cast mine site. RWE aims to have the photovoltaic systems operational by the year’s end.

This initiative is a significant move towards the target of establishing a minimum of 500 MW of new solar and wind generation capacity in the area, with a focus on locations along highways. RWE has already initiated various PV projects in the vicinity, including trials of agrivoltaics in a nearby demonstration facility. The company currently operates seven photovoltaic systems in the region, four of which are paired with battery storage systems, with additional projects in the pipeline.

Utilizing recultivated land near opencast mines, RWE is expanding its solar projects, which are integrated into the grid infrastructure at the Garzweiler opencast mine.