German steel maker, municipal utility to build 150-MW solar park in Saxony

June 8 (Renewables Now) - German municipal utility SachsenEnergie and local steelmaker Feralpi Stahl are planning to jointly build a 150-MW solar park in the federal state of Saxony to secure a sustainable energy supply for the business in the region.

The project is still in the early planning phase and the companies involved are awaiting the green light from the Zeithainer municipal council, Feralpi Stahl said on Wednesday.

The plan for the solar power plant in the Zeithain municipality is supported by local municipal utility Stadtwerke Riesae, but the details about the participation of Feralpi Stahl and the utility are yet to be cleared.

Commenting on the reasons behind Feralpi Stahl's involvement in the project, its director Uwe Reinecke said that the company has been putting a lot of effort into decarbonisation and green steel production for many years. The steelmaker is now investing over EUR 200 million (USD 214.34m) in various projects, including an emission-free spooler rolling mill. In this context, the company aims to secure a green energy supply, preferably from the region, Reinecke added.

When operational, the planned solar park will help avoid more than 64,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It will be the largest solar park in the portfolio of SachsenEnergie which is one of the largest municipal utilities in eastern Germany, providing solutions for electricity, gas, heat, water, telecommunications, electric mobility, and smart services.