Puespoek to install 400 MWp of solar in Austria

Renewable energy company Puespoek Group has put a 14 MWp agricultural photovoltaic (Agri-PV) plant into operation in eastern Austria as part of an initiative to deploy 400 MWp of solar energy in the Alpine country by 2026.

The plant, Nickelsdorf I, was built on a 13-hectare area and combines solar power production with agricultural land use. The facility consists of 23,000 modules, generating electricity for 4,300 households.

Notably, Nickelsdorf I and the existing Heidaecker Moenchhof wind farm form Puespoek’s first hybrid park.

In parallel, the company has started the construction of another facility, Nickelsdorf II, which will have a capacity of 68 MWp. The plant will be realised on an area of 53 hectares and will supply electricity to about 23,000 households. It is expected to become operational in 2024.

Another component of the PV initiative is the addition of large-scale battery storage systems co-located with the solar parks. The first one, located in Nickelsdorf, has been already approved and is expected to commence operations in 2025.

The overall initiative involves building capacities totalling 400 MW until 2026, which is in line with Puespoek's growth plans. The major project is expected to secure clean electricity sufficient to meet the needs of 100,000 households.

“The combination of wind power, photovoltaics, and battery storage technologies makes the Nickelsdorf project a 'super hybrid park' and thus a pioneering project in Austria's energy transition,” managing director Lukas Puespoek commented in the statement.

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