The Boxberg solar park was officially commissioned on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in the presence of Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer. Development and construction supervision of the plant were carried out by EP New Energies (EPNE). Owner is the Lusatian energy company LEAG, which will operate the plant as part of its GigawattFactory. The PV plant, which was built on a post-mining site near the Boxberg power plant in Saxony, now supplies 25 MW of green electricity to the grid. It is another building block to future-proof the Lusatian energy region.
"Boxberg solar park has been our third PV-plant in Saxony to be connected to the grid in just 6 months. In addition, another large PV park is under construction in the federal state and the start of construction of a multi-megawatt wind farm is imminent," says Dominique Guillou, Managing Director of EP New Energies GmbH, summarizing the company's current activities in the field of renewable energies in Saxony. "With every new wind and solar project, we are advancing the future-proof transformation of our energy regions."
With the aim of ensuring that Lusatia remains an important energy region in Germany in the future, the Boxberg site is foreseen to bundle renewable energies, large-scale storage of green electricity and the production and use of green hydrogen. This will enable a secure and environmentally friendly power supply to be available around the clock in the future.
"We are proud to have finalized another solar project from our 8+ GW renewable energy project pipeline in Germany. It is another step in transforming the traditional energy hub to the sustainable future," emphasizes Tomáš David, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of EP Power Europe, responsible for renewables in the EP Corporate Group. "The large-scale energy transformation of the contemplated magnitude needs strong partnerships and close involvement of all stakeholders. I sincerely thank the region's representatives and the state government for their cooperation and support, which is invaluable for making the transition happen."
The PV project has been developed in close cooperation with the municipality of Boxberg/Oberlausitz, the citizens and the authorities involved. Citizens haven been involved from an early stage and throughout the process by means of regular town-hall meetings and information events.
The planners put strong emphasis on landscape architecture so that the 33-hectare facility blends in well with the landscape. In addition to the extensive meadow areas for native wildlife, hedges have been foreseen as a means to visually hide the plant from the viewer. This is intended to promote ecological biodiversity and ensure acceptance among the local population.
Your contact for further information:
Margarita Schulz, Team Lead Communications
Telefon 030 767584572, margarita.schulz@epne.de
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Commissioning of Boxberg solar park
©: Thoralf Schirmer, LEAG
Information on the individuals from left to right
- Tomáš David, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of EP Power Europe and Head of Renewable Energy in the EP Corporate Group
- Hendryk Balko, Mayor of Boxberg
- Thorsten Kramer, CEO LEAG
- Dominique Guillou, Managing Director EP New Energies
- Michael Kretschmer, Saxony's Minister President