Bavaria offers roadside areas for solar projects

Germany’s federal state of Bavaria is offering areas along federal and state roads for the construction of solar facilities which could potentially generate a total of 2.5 TWh of electricity annually.

According to a statement published by the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction, and Transport, Bavaria has identified 30,000 plots with a combined area of nearly 2,150 hectares (21,500 decares), which are suitable for the development of solar systems. The total electricity, which could be generated if the plots are utilised, would be sufficient to meet the needs of around 700,000 single-family homes, the ministry said.

The identified areas have been now offered for lease and interested parties are able to pick a site for the construction of solar systems. The offer is particularly aimed at municipalities, municipal utilities, citizen energy cooperatives, project developers, and private individuals, the ministry said.

"The advantages are clear," transport minister Christian Bernreiter was cited in the statement. "The areas along traffic routes are already disadvantaged, so the necessary interventions in nature and the landscape are relatively minor", Bernreiter said.

Bavaria is a clear leader in solar energy deployment among German federal states with nearly 25 GW of installed capacity as of July 2024, according to data by the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA). This is more than double the capacity of the second-ranking state, Baden-Wuerttemberg, which has 11.6 GW.

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