In Austria, Energie Steiermark has just commissioned the country’s largest photovoltaic park after less than a year of construction.
A local project
In Austria, the park, located on a former lignite ash dump, generates 18MW of solar energy per year. It serves the western part of Styria via the public network. Finally, it supplies 5,700 homes in the region.
Energie Steiermark is investing €12 million in this plant. This project is comparable in terms of power to a medium-sized hydroelectric plant. The energy is distributed via the Bärnbach substation.
It is a project of local importance located in two communities; Bärnbach and Rosental an der Kainach. Finally, the area represents 21 hectares or 28 soccer fields. Initial discussions would begin in 2018 and contracts would be signed in 2020.
A site reconversion
The directors of Energie Steiermark, Christian Purrer and Martin Graf, state:
“The project was implemented in a good climate and in an extremely cooperative way with the municipalities and GKB mining as the owner. It is a good example of “effective and regional consolidation of forces in sustainability.”
The project is a major challenge for the company, which plans to invest a total of $250 million over the next five years. Currently, more than 25,000 photovoltaic systems are connected to the Styrian energy grid.
Christopher Drexler, Governor of the province, says:
“With the opening of this photovoltaic park, we are taking another important step towards Styria’s energy transition. It is an excellent example because no valuable areas are sealed off here, but a fallow landfill in a former mining area is used to generate electricity. The photovoltaic park is one of the many new projects with which we are gradually switching to clean energy production and reducing our dependence on energy imports. The opening can be seen as an Austria-wide model for sustainable power generation.”
Historically, the region has been involved in the energy industry. It is thus moving from coal-fired power plants to large-scale photovoltaic systems.
All stakeholders recognize the importance of the use of former mining operations. These properties are not easy to manage because of their environmental impact. This reconversion allows them to be used in a sustainable way and valued for future generations.
