A 76MWp agrivoltaic installation has been opened in Tützpatz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, becoming Germany’s largest ground-mounted solar project to combine electricity generation with farming and livestock activities.
Covering 93 hectares, the Agri-PV farm integrates solar power production with arable cultivation and animal husbandry.
Vattenfall has secured the scheme’s profitability through a decade-long power purchase agreement (PPA) with Power and Air Condition Solution Management GmbH (PASM), a Deutsche Telekom AG subsidiary.
The company said the arrangement would cover the annual power needs of around 4,600 mobile phone sites.
Claus Wattendrup, Head of Vattenfall’s Solar & Batteries division, said: “Tützpatz is the first Agri-PV project that we are implementing on this scale. The entire team has done real pioneering work and has led the project to success with a lot of personal commitment despite some hurdles.
“I would like to thank all those involved who can be proud of their achievements. With Tützpatz, we are showing that agriculture and fossil-free power generation are not in competition with each other but can complement each other perfectly.”
Bernd Schulte-Sprenger, Managing Director of PASM, added: “As a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG, PASM bears central responsibility for the reliable energy supply of the telecommunications infrastructure.
The electricity supply contract with the Tützpatz solar park combines ecological responsibility with clear economic rationality. It is a future-proof model that ensures cost stability for energy, increases space efficiency and makes a significant contribution to achieving climate neutrality in the Deutsche Telekom AG Group’s own operations.”
The Tützpatz site comprises three sections, where poultry farming and crop production will operate alongside the photovoltaic systems. Plans include six mobile chicken coops, each holding up to 2,500 birds.
On the Tützpatz 2 and Tützpatz 3 plots, crops will be grown using wider module spacing and tracker-mounted panels, enabling agricultural machinery to access the land.
Vattenfall said Agri-PV technology helps maintain agricultural output while supporting solar generation and announced intentions to develop additional parks of this type.
