The Witznitz Solar Farm, also known as Witznitz Energy Park or Solar Park Witznitz, is now fully operational in eastern Germany. The large photovoltaic facility sits near Leipzig on land previously used as an open-pit coal mine. With an expanded installed capacity of 650 MW, the project represents one of Europe’s most significant solar developments and highlights the region’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable power generation.
Project Completion and Current Status
The solar project began partial electricity generation in December 2023 and achieved full commercial operation by early 2024, reaching its original 605 MW capacity. Moreover, an additional 45 MW expansion phase was completed and connected to the grid by summer 2024, increasing the total capacity to 650 MW. The facility was officially inaugurated in July 2024, marking the completion of one of the largest photovoltaic installations ever built in Europe.
Today, the plant operates with more than 1.1 million photovoltaic modules installed across approximately 500–650 hectares of reclaimed mining land. The transformation of the former lignite mine into a solar energy hub demonstrates how legacy fossil-fuel infrastructure can be repurposed for renewable energy production.
Development and Ownership
The project was developed by Move On Energy, while investment ownership is held by HANSAINVEST Real Assets. Long-term electricity offtake agreements support the project’s financial structure. These include major power purchase agreements with Shell Energy Europe for most of the facility’s electricity output and Microsoft for a portion of the generation capacity.
At the time of commissioning in 2024, the Witznitz facility surpassed the Francisco Pizarro Solar Plant in Spain, which has a capacity of about 590 MW, making Witznitz the largest solar photovoltaic plant in Europe at that time. Industry analysts note that future solar projects planned in countries such as Romania may eventually exceed this capacity.
Large-scale solar developments such as the Witznitz Energy Park illustrate Europe’s growing investment in renewable electricity infrastructure. At the policy level, the European Commission continues to promote new solar capacity through funding initiatives and cross-border cooperation. One such initiative is the European Union Opens €54.9 million Third Cross-Border Solar Tender, which aims to finance photovoltaic projects in countries including Bulgaria and Finland, further accelerating solar deployment across the European Union.
Who owns the Witznitz Solar Plant
The Witznitz solar farm was not state-subsidized. It is owned privately by HANSAINVEST Real Assets who arranged a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy Europe last year in September. Additionally, HANSAINVEST also signed a PPA with Microsoft. The PPA agreements outline that Shell will receive 600 MW with Microsoft receiving 323 MW. HANSAINVEST also worked in the community to mitigate environmental and social impact from the project. They collaborated with Move On to construct roads with cycling and hiking paths totaling 13 kilometers. Additionally, they put up hedges along the fences on top of the forest areas planted on 13 hectares of land.
The Witznitz plant capacity
The PV plant will be able to produce enough clean electricity to power around 200,000 households. All this whilst avoiding around 250,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The solar farm’s developer is MoveOn Energy who have planned to install a further 45MW of solar power on its own behalf. They will connect the additional power generated to the grid by this summer.
The previous title holder for the largest solar farm in Europe was the 500 MW Núñez de Balboa project in the Extremadura region, Spain. It is now the second largest plant in Europe. It has 590 MW in peak capacity and a 553 MW network connection.
The Fernando Pessoa system
However, the Witznitz solar plant is not expected to hold the title for much longer considering there is a 1.2 GW solar project currently underway in Portugal. The project is located in Setúbal district, specifically, Santiago do Cacém. It has been named The Fernando Pessoa system and will create 2,500 mostly local jobs. It is expected to come online next year. The solar plant will generate power equivalent to 370 million cubic meters of gas per year. This is enough to power 430,000 homes with clean and cheap energy per year.
The Fernando Pessoa System is owned by both Iberdrola and Prosolia Energy. Interestingly, the former company owns the Núñez de Balboa that was just dethroned as the largest solar park in Europe. Further, the solar park has an action plan that includes measures such as occupational skills training, fostering tourism and providing solar energy to nearby communities. Iberdrola also has a keen interest in environmental protection and biodiversity. They have noted that shepherds would graze sheep at the same location and that beehives would be introduced. It will help improve ecosystem stability and boost crop yields in the surrounding farmland.
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Project Fact Sheet: Witznitz Solar Farm
- Project Name: Witznitz Solar Farm (Witznitz Energy Park)
- Location: Near Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
- Project Type: Utility-scale Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Plant
- Site: Former Witznitz II open-pit lignite coal mine
- Installed Capacity: 605–650 MW
- Solar Modules Installed: Approximately 1.1 million PV modules
- Project Area: About 500 hectares plus ~150 hectares additional land
- Construction Start: July 2022
- Commissioning: Partial operations December 2023; full operation 2024
- Estimated Power Supply: About 200,000 households
- Annual CO₂ Reduction: Approximately 250,000 tones
- Grid Connection: 380 kV transmission network through Pulgar substation
- Power Purchase Agreements: Long-term PPAs with Shell Energy Europe and Microsoft
- Project Status: Fully operational solar park in Europe.
Project Team
Owner / Investor
- HANSAINVEST Real Assets – Project owner and investment manager
Corporate Email:
Developer / Operator
- MOVE ON Energy GmbH – Project developer and operator responsible for planning and construction
Corporate Email:
Solar Module Supplier
- JinkoSolar – Supplied more than 1.1 million Tiger Neo solar modules
Corporate Email:
Inverter Supplier
- Delta Electronics – Supplied inverters and power management technology
Corporate Email:
Electrical Engineering Contractor
- Kreutzpointner Group – Electrical engineering, automation and solar system integration
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Grid Integration Partner
- 50Hertz Transmission – Grid operator responsible for integrating the project into the transmission network
Corporate Email:
Corporate Power Offtakers
- Shell Energy Europe – Long-term power purchase agreement for around 600 MW
- Email: [email protected]
- Microsoft – Renewable energy offtake agreement supporting its clean energy strategy
- Email: [email protected]