The company RWE has won two solar projects in the latest tender of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) in Germany. These projects will be located in North Rhine-Westphalia, one in the Rhein-Erft district and the other as an expansion of an existing site along the A44n motorway.
The Manheimer Bucht site, located in the southern part of the former Hambach opencast mine, will host a plant of about 17.2 megawatts peak (14.3 MWac) across 14.5 hectares. Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2026, subject to permit approvals, with commissioning planned by the end of 2026.
Extension of the project along the A44n
The second project involves the extension of a photovoltaic park currently under construction between the cities of Bedburg and Jüchen. This development foresees an additional capacity of about 20 megawatts peak, with a new phase including more than 30,600 solar modules installed on reclaimed land from the former Garzweiler mine.
RWE currently operates seven major solar plants in the region, some combined with battery storage systems. The company is also examining the feasibility of integrating storage capacities at the two new sites.
Timeline and regional development outlook
All solar plants under construction along the A44n represent an installed capacity of 86.5 megawatts peak (74.6 MWac), with commissioning scheduled before the end of the year. The second extension phase of 19.9 megawatts peak (15.5 MWac) is planned for the following year.
Photovoltaic projects located near motorways benefit from a faster permitting process. They also enjoy stronger public acceptance, which facilitates their regional rollout.
