Largest floating solar system inaugurated in south-western Germany

The largest floating photovoltaic system in Germany was inaugurated in Bad Schönborn north-west of Stuttgart on Monday.

The more than 27,000 solar modules with a maximum output of 15 megawatts have been installed over more than eight hectares on the Philippsee, an artificial lake created from a gravel pit.

The operator, Nexentury, said that the system had been in operation since August 1, providing electricity to the gravel plant on the lake, with surplus power going to the grid.

The aim is to generate around 16 million kilowatt-hours per year. Planned since 2021, construction began in mid-February.

"We have to exploit all available potential for the energy transition to succeed, and this includes floating photovoltaic systems," Baden-Württemberg Premier Winfried Kretschmann said.

The state would continue to create the conditions for projects of this kind to succeed, he added.

The solar power project is the third of its kind in the south-western state. Flooded gravel pits are seen as good locations, as gravel plants require large amounts of electrical power. Using the pits also avoids taking up land surface.