East Frisia on the North Sea coast of Germany is actually an Eldorado for wind power. But GP Joule is now bringing the sun into the power grid. The project developer has built the Sande solar park for energy supplier Friesen Elektra and has now put it into operation. The plant with an output of 83 megawatts was built to complement an existing wind farm.
Anchoring posts in aggressive ground
A whole host of planning and technical challenges had to be overcome. For example, the GP Joule installers had to use specially developed drilling and foundation methods to anchor the approximately 31,400 mounting posts in the ground, which reacts very aggressively to steel. In addition, trenches and watercourses on the site had to be taken into account. In addition, the planners also had to take monument protection issues into account. These were mastered so well that Friesen Elektra has already commissioned the expansion of the solar park by an additional 37 megawatts.
See also: VSB plans one of Europe’s largest solar-wind hybrid energy parks in Finland
145,000 modules installed
The current park will produce around 80,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year on an area of around 95 hectares. To this end, the craftsmen have installed a total of more than 145,000 modules along the A29 motorway under the existing windmills. Despite the high requirements, GP Joule was able to construct an economically viable plant.
Well-rehearsed team required
The generator actually went into operation on schedule. "Realising such a highly demanding project as the Sande solar park requires well-rehearsed teams and close coordination between everyone involved," says Matthias Lamp, Managing Director of GP Joule EPC. Paola Pignatelli, Project Manager at GP Joule EPC, adds: "On construction sites like these, the tried-and-tested collaboration with our partners proves its worth: we have already been able to realise a number of complex projects and, building on this experience, we were also able to make the first photovoltaic expansion stage in Sande a success."
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Maintenance with own service teams
GP Joule will also look after the solar park after commissioning. GP Joule Service will take over the technical management of the plant for the client Friesen Elektra. As standard, this includes monitoring, transparent reporting, maintenance, inspection and repairs. The company has set up its own service teams for this purpose. GP Joule has also already been awarded the service contract for the next section with 37 megawatts. (su/mfo)
