Former German lignite mine land to be used for solar PV
dpa / Clean Energy Wire
German lignite operator Leag seeks to take advantage of the country's coal phase-out and use former mining areas of the Jänschwalde opencast mine for the generation of solar energy, reports news agency dpa. Plans for the “Energy Park Bohrau” have overcome the next hurdle as Leag reached an agreement with two farming businesses that will allow the company to use the land to build a 400 megawatt solar PV park. The project’s leading manager André Fuchs sees the development of the Bohrau park as a contribution to continuing Lusatia's tradition as an energy region and “making it fit for the future”,a press release said. Construction for the Bohrau Energy Park is slated to begin in 2023. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2024.
Germany’s lignite mining regions are undergoing significant structural economic change as Germany phases out coal and moves towards a climate-neutral energy system. As part of the coal exit deal reached in 2019, affected regions receive billions of euros in support to cushion the effects.
