“Even though there are large areas of land in Sweden, we need to optimize the use of space to meet different public interests. Here we have found a way to construct a hybrid plant in forest land with low natural values already utilized for wind power,” says Peter Braun, country manager in Sweden at European Energy.
In total, the hybrid plant will be able to produce 163 GWh of green electricity per year, which corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of 32,600 households. 38 GWh comes from the solar park, and the rest from wind power.
“The combination of solar and wind means that we will have an increased production and a more balanced output. Wind and solar complement each other well because they have different production times during the day and throughout the year”, says Braun.
49 hectares – temporary facility
The solar park occupies an area of 49 hectares and land preparation has been ongoing for a few months. The forest, which was ripe for felling, has been taken down and rocks have been buried in a deeper layer of soil.
“We used soil that was already on site to level the ground so that the solar panels could be installed on an even surface. In this way, we have not added or removed any soil, thus avoiding transport. As far as possible, we use local subcontractors for the groundwork”, says Peter Braun.
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The solar park is a temporary facility. When the solar panels are finished, after about 35 years, the land can be returned to forestry or other uses. The ground works carried out now will make it easier to plant forest in the area in the future as there are fewer rocks in the surface layer.
Increase biodiversity
European Energy also plans to undertake a series of actions to increase biodiversity. Exactly what not yet been decided, but proposals include a pond designed to favour amphibians such as frogs, extensive planting of berry and flowering shrubs, and sowing various meadow seeds. There are also plans to install stone cairns, leave dead wood, build insect hotels, sand habitats and erect birdhouses. There is also a discussion about having grazing sheep in the park. The next step in the project is to start installing the panels in the spring.
“The goal is to have the solar park completed in 2024 and the entire facility will be producing green electricity for the grid by the end of the year,” states Braun. (hcn)
