Renewable energies
For the German energy transition and structural change on site in the mining areas we are consistently focussing on renewable energies. We are working on a unique project pipeline for photovoltaics and onshore wind in Germany on post-mining land. To achieve our goals, we are joining forces: since July 2024, EP New Energies and LEAG's Renewable Energies division have jointly formed LEAG Renewables GmbH.
Floating PV plants
The floating PV plant on the Cottbuser Ostsee Lake is a project of superlatives. It will be the largest floating PV system in Germany to be built on the largest mining lake to date. The solar modules with a combined capacity of 29 MWpeak form a floating PV park of around 16 hectares. The total area of the Cottbuser Ostsee Lake will be 1,900 hectares after the end of flooding. The land take is less than one percent of the lake area. This means that the use of floating PV technology can be combined very well with other uses of the lake in the areas of local recreation, tourism and water sports.
Size of the plant
up to 16 hectares
Nominal output
approx. 29 MWp planned
Annual generation
approx. 29,000 MWh planned
(corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 8,250 households)
Planning status at Cottbuser Ostsee
As an innovative green power project, the floating PV system, in combination with other renewable energy systems, fits in well with the city's vision of implementing a holistic mobility and energy supply concept for a CO2-neutral harbour district at Cottbuser Ostsee Lake. At the same time, it can become a building block for CO2-neutral mobility in Cottbus and Lusatia.
The construction of the plant required the preparation of a development plan by the city of Cottbus. The development plan procedure was conducted with the participation of the public and public interest groups and began with the decision to draw up the plan in June 2021. The successful conclusion was the resolution of the city council meeting in October 2022.
Due to the process of filling the lake with water (flooding), LEAG had made advance preparations in parallel and had begun with the preparation of the building ground. Between November 2021 and June 2022, the still-dry lake bed in the project area was compacted to a depth of 30 metres using vibro-pressure technology. When the building permit was granted in May 2023, the go-ahead was given for the construction of 34 dolphins as an anchoring system for the future floating PV system.
Between June and October 2024, more than 51,000 solar modules were installed on around 1,800 solar boats and attached to the dolphins. In addition, 88 inverters, eight transformer stations and two medium-voltage systems were added. Germany's largest floating solar installation has thus reached its planned dimensions. The project is now entering the next construction phase with the laying of the electricity and fibre optic cables under the lake bed and along its shore.
Forst-Briesnig II Wind Farm
The Forst-Briesnig II wind farm is being built on a 320-hectare recultivation area of the Jänschwalde opencast mine. Here, 17 wind turbines with a total capacity of more than 100 MW are planned on future agricultural land.
The planning area
Project area:
- Spree-Neiße district; town of Forst (Briesnig sub-district) and Peitz municipality (Horno and Heinersbrück sub-districts)
- designated as an area suitable for wind energy in the former factual sub-regional plan for wind energy use of the Lusatia-Spreewald region of 16.06.2016; sub-regional plan currently being redrafted (requirements for project area still met)
Current use:
- post-mining area of the Jänschwalde opencast mine being reclaimed for agricultural use
- five existing turbines of the Forst-Briesnig I wind farm: Senvion, 3.2M122 NES; hub height 139 m; total height 200 m, commissioning: December 2018, owner: LHI Group, formerly ABO Wind
Visualisations of the planned Forst-Briesnig II Wind Farm
As part of the approval procedure for the Forst-Briesnig II wind farm, the impact on the landscape is analysed and assessed on a project-specific basis. Visualisations that make the planned project visible already today help in this process.
The landscape has always been subject to man-made changes. The extent of the impairment is also linked to the subjective perception of each individual. The basic question of what is perceived as beautiful or ugly is difficult to answer. The larger the facilities, the more they come into view. Therefore, a sensitive choice of location for wind turbines is important. Arbitrary planning is ruled out here, as decisions on the respective suitability areas are already made at the regional level. As part of the approval procedure, the change in the landscape is then analysed and assessed on a project-specific basis, including the recreational suitability of the affected area. If necessary, measures are planned to compensate for the encroachment.
Approval procedure
- in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act with public participation and environmental impact assessment
- investigation of all relevant factors influencing the environment and the surrounding communities (including noise, shadow flicker, fire protection, stability, species protection)
- expertise of external experts and consultants
- submission of the application for approval to the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment in July 2021
- approval notice received in June 2023
Added value for communities
- Brandenburg Wind Power Euro (EUR 10,000 annually and pro rata to the area of neighbouring municipalities within a radius of 3,000 metres)
- nationwide opportunities under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2021)
More information on the Forst-Briesnig II Wind Farm
Designation of areas suitable for wind energy in regional planning
In Brandenburg, the regional planning communities are responsible for controlling the development of wind energy. They define areas for wind energy use in the form of suitability areas in sectoral sub-regional plans or integrated regional plans. There are five of these planning communities in Brandenburg, with the Lausitz-Spreewald regional planning community in southern Brandenburg responsible for drawing up the regional plans.
Regulations, investigations and measures
Wind energy is one of the most visible technologies in the landscape. Understandably, residents therefore wonder whether wind turbines near residential areas will affect their quality of life.
Residents have a special role to play when investigating the environmental impact of a wind farm. The relevant immissions are light sources, shadow flicker and noise (sound). External experts will examine whether the existing legal regulations and limit values for the Forst-Briesnig II wind farm are complied with. For this purpose, the licensing authority - the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment - defines so-called "immission points", which are the basis for representative measurements and forecasts. If an exceedance of applicable guideline or limit values cannot be ruled out, appropriate technical mitigation measures are planned, which later also become part of the permit. The operation of the wind turbines in compliance with the permit is checked by the State Office for the Environment.
Noise and sound:
- Regulation: Technical Instructions on Noise Protection (TA Lärm) and WKA Noise Immission Decree
- Procedure: Identification of significant immission locations with the highest protection requirement; in Briesnig and Bohrau, immission guide values of between 40 and 45 dB at night and 55 to 60 dB during the day apply, depending on the area category; the assessment of the impact is based on the total load (incident and additional load).
- Possible mitigation measures: aerodynamically optimised and adjustable rotor blades; operation of noise-determining turbines in noise-reduced mode; integrated computer system throttles the turbine when the limit value is reached.
Reduced speeds, non-reflective paints and sensor-supported shutdown as soon as guideline or limit values for immissions are reached - to ensure that the neighbourhood of wind energy and residential development succeeds, state-of-the-art turbines are used.
There are also defined immission protection regulations for the shadow cast by the rotor blades of wind turbines. According to these, a wind turbine must be temporarily shut down if its shadow falls on a residential building for more than 30 minutes a day and 30 hours a year. If it is foreseeable that the sum value for shadow flicker will be exceeded, the turbines are equipped with shadow flicker modules for automatic shutdown. The annual value for the actual shadow duration is then limited to a further eight hours.
Shadow flicker
- Regulation: WTG shadow flicker guideline
- Procedure: Identification of relevant immission points with the highest protection requirement; irrespective of the area classification, a maximum of 30 minutes of shadow flicker per day and a maximum of 30 hours per year or, if a shadow flicker module is installed, only 8 hours per year apply; the assessment of the impact is based on the total load (incident and additional load).
- Possible mitigation measures: Installation of a shadow casting module, which works with light sensors, takes into account the actual weather conditions and switches off the plant when the sum value for shadow casting is reached.
Lighting
- Regulation: Needs-based night lighting in accordance with the General Administrative Regulation (AVV) for the marking of aviation obstacles and the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
- Measure: Lighting is only activated if movements in the airspace actually require it; no continuous "flashing".
For the approval and construction of wind turbines, the protection of bats and the so-called "avifauna" as a totality of all bird species occurring in a region is of great importance. This is ensured by nature conservation studies as part of the approval procedure for a wind farm. In preparation for the approval procedure for the Forst-Briesnig II wind farm, extensive mapping was carried out in accordance with the statutory provisions. The Federal Nature Conservation Act and the decree of the Ministry for the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection of the State of Brandenburg on the consideration of nature conservation issues in the designation of suitable wind areas and in the approval of wind energy plants are decisive here.
In addition to the breeding birds on the agricultural land on which the wind turbines are to be erected, the eyrie sites and main flight paths of disturbance-sensitive large bird species in the vicinity of the turbines also play a major role. Furthermore, roosting waters and feeding areas of migratory and resting birds in the vicinity are also included in the considerations. The bats occurring in the planning area, their habitat potential and their activity areas are also recorded.
The main focus of the nature conservation studies is to be able to derive statements on possible threats to birds and bats from the wind farm. If significant impacts appear likely, appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures are integrated into the permit application. These may include temporarily shutting down the wind turbines during periods when, for example, bats are particularly active.
Higher is better
Practice and the growing body of experience in the wind energy industry show that tall turbines reduce the overall risk of collisions. Turbines like the one planned in Forst-Briesnig II project further out of the activity zones of avifauna and bats. Thus, their rotor sweep is above the regular flight height of many animals.
Bohrau Energy Park photovoltaic plant
The Bohrau Energy Park is planned as a phtovoltaics plant on an approximately 400-hectare agricultural recultivation area of the Jänschwalde opencast mine. It is to have a total capacity of around 400 MW. The decision to set up the development plan procedure and amend the land use plan was taken by the Forst (Lausitz) city council in September 2021. The formal disclosure and participation of the public interest groups took place in the period from 28.03. to 02.05.2023.
Project area
around 400 ha
Capacity
approx. 400 MWp
Commissioning
planned from 2024
The planning area
Project area:
- district of Spree-Neiße
- city of Forst (sub-district of Bohrau, Weißagk)
Current use:
- recultivated post-mining areas of the Jänschwalde opencast mine in agricultural use
Approval procedure
- preparation of a development plan in accordance with the German Federal Building Code; contains plan drawing (Part A) and textual provisions (Part B); resolution by the city council of the City of Forst (Lausitz)
- amendment of the land use plan in the corresponding area
- building permit in accordance with the Brandenburg Building Code for the construction of the PV plant
Added value for the municipality
- additional income opportunities for the municipal budget from renewable energy systems
- renewables as a building block for regional structural development: supply opportunities for companies with green electricity and hydrogen on site, new regional value chains
Cooperation with farmers
- agreements on the use of partial areas for the PV system
- awarding of contracts for land use, extensive cultivation and landscape conservation
- upgrading of the area with species and nature conservation measures (including flowering strips, preservation and addition of wood structures, wildlife corridor, orchards)
Deponie Jänschwalde I Solar Park
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nominal output: approx. 31 MWp planned
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annual production: approx. 30,000 MWh
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project area: Spree-Neiße district; town of Forst (Weißagk sub-district) and Wiesengrund municipality (Gosda sub-district)
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development plan area: approx. 40-hectare embankment area of the Jänschwalde I ash landfill section A, which is in the decommissioning phase; succession area with the recultivation objective of forest, interim use by PV with dismantling by 2049
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in the approval procedure (amendment of the waste management planning approval for the Jänschwalde I landfill)
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commissioning: planned in 2025
Hirschfelde Solar Park
- nominal capacity: approx. 20 MWp planned
- project area: district of Görlitz, town of Zittau, Hirschfelde city district
- approx. 20 hectares; former power plant site; industrial and commercial area, no cultivation
- commissioning: planned for 2024
Dissen-Striesow Solar Park
- nominal capacity: approx. 200 MWp planned
- annual production: approx. 220,000 MWh
- approx. 200 hectares of land in agricultural use
- cooperation with farmer on land use, extensive cultivation and landscape conservation
- upgrading of the area with species and nature conservation measures (e.g. flowering strips, visual protection plantings, open areas for open and semi-open land species, wildlife corridor, meadow orchard)
- commissioning: planned for 2025
Hühnerwasser and Wolkenberg Solar Park
- nominal capacity: approx. 300 MWp planned
- annual production: approx. 300,000 MWh
- project area: Spree-Neiße district; town of Spremberg
- about 350 hectares of agricultural land in the recultivation area of the Welzow-Süd opencast mine, consisting of four sub-areas
- ecological upgrading of the area for the benefit of regional biodiversity in combination with measures for the preservation and further development of existing biotopes and plantings (including flower strips, open areas for open and semi-open land species, wildlife corridors)
- commissioning: planned for 2026
Energy Park Drebkau
- nominal capacity: approx. 131 MWp, planned in two PV sub-areas for photovoltaics
- project area: Spree-Neiße District, town of Drebkau, Jehserig city district
- approx. 120 hectares of post-mining land of the Welzow-Süd opencast mine in agricultural recultivation
- commissioning planned for 2026
- Welzow III solar park
- Solar Park "Old Power Station" Zschornewitz
- Roof PV Lübbenau and Cottbus
- IAA Böhlen solar park
- Boxberg solar park
Altes Kraftwerk Zschornewitz Solar Park
Zschornewitz was once home to one of the oldest power plants in Germany. It went into operation in 1915 and was shut down in 1992. Now electricity is once again being produced at the site on 5 hectares - this time CO2-free. The solarpark has a generation capacity of 4.5 MWp. This means that, in purely mathematical terms, it can supply around 1,150 four-person households with green electricity. The project was planned by EP New Energies. Approval was granted in cooperation with LEAG's specialist departments. Since commissioning in June 2021, LEAG energy cubes has taken over the electricity marketing.
IAA Böhlen solar park
The 17-megawatt IAA Böhlen solar park was built on the site of a former and partially recultivated industrial tailings management facility near the Lippendorf power plant and went into operation in 2023.
Boxberg solar park
The Boxberg power plant solar park with a total output of around 25 MWp went into operation at the end of April 2024 on a 23-hectare agricultural recultivation area of the Nochten opencast mine. It will contribute to the power supply by generating up to 26,000 MWh of electricity per year. In future, the Boxberg/Nochten/Reichwalde site will bundle the expansion of renewable energies, large-scale storage facilities and the utilisation of green hydrogen. To this end, we are preparing the largest future centre for the production and energy use of green hydrogen and the large-scale storage of green electricity in eastern Germany, the H2UB Boxberg, at the current Boxberg power plant.
