After three and a half years of planning and approval, the Ludwigshafen-based energy supplier Pfalzwerke has constructed the Fuchsstadt solar park for the Osnabrück-based ProWind group of companies. The open-space photovoltaic system includes an open area in the middle to protect an archaeological monument.
Pfalzwerke claims to have built "one of the largest solar parks in Bavaria" in Fuchsstadt, Franconia, inaugurated last week by 150 project participants, local political representatives, and interested residents. According to the market master data register, the more minor two construction phases, with about 16.6 megawatts of gross module output and 13.5 megawatts of inverter output, went online last December. The more significant portion of the plant, with 37.9 megawatts of gross output and 30.6 megawatts of inverter output, is scheduled for commissioning on July 31.
The Fuchsstadt solar park, comprising around 90,000 bifacial solar modules spread over 60 hectares, is a testament to our commitment to renewable energy. This extensive use of space is not at the cost of nature but in harmony with it. We have integrated nature and species protection measures, allocating about 14 hectares for species protection, flower strips, and plantings. An energy and nature trail is also part of the concept. Additionally, a significant uncovered area remains in the middle of the module fields to protect an archaeological monument suspected to be an ancient settlement, as archaeological investigations have uncovered house plans of the Linear Pottery culture from the Neolithic period.
Johannes Busmann, managing partner of the ProWind Group, described the plant in Fuchsstadt as "our first flagship project for citizen participation." This is not just a solar park, but a community effort. The municipality will actively participate in the success of the project by taking a 30 percent share in the operating company, making it a project that everyone can be proud of.
Overall, the project took nearly four years to complete. The first presentation to the municipal council occurred in November 2020, and the resolution to set up the project was passed in April 2021. Construction began in September 2023. "Projects in the field of renewable energies are challenges that can only be successful if all regional players, especially the property owners, work together," summarized Busmann.
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