The 24.5 MW floating PV plant in Grafenwörth, Austria, has been built on the water surface of a former sand and gravel pit by BayWa re through its Austrian unit ECOwind and local energy supplier EVN. It will produce 26,700 MWh/y of green electricity and will be able to supply around 7,500 Austrian households.

Commenting on the news, Dr Benedikt Ortmann, Global Director of Solar Projects, BayWa re, said: ‘BayWa re sees the important role of this technology in the clean energy revolution, and we are excited to bring floating PV to more and more countries… Together with EVN and our Austrian subsidiary ECOwind, we managed to install the plant in record time – without compromising on environmental protection. Biodiversity and sustainability are major considerations for us in all floating PV projects.’

To ensure the project’s integration into the surrounding ecosystem, research on the fish population as well as examinations of the local dragonfly fauna will be carried out regularly over coming years.

Johann Janker, Managing Director, ECOwind, added: ‘In Grafenwörth, the challenge was to drive approval procedures and regulations for this new PV application in Austria and to ensure a safe construction – which we managed even with a level difference of seven metres between the mounting surface and the water. Besides being quickly installed and easy to maintain, floating PV also has the benefit of a higher electricity yield thanks to the cooling effect of water – making the application a very attractive prospect to landowners of unused water bodies.'

Including this new project, BayWa re has installed a total of 15 floating PV plants, with more than 230 MW worldwide. The recent 41.1 MW Sellingen park and 29.8 MW Uivermeertjes park in the Netherlands are now the two largest outside Asia. The Grafenwörth project follows BayWa re’s 27.4 MW park in Bomhofsplas, the Netherlands, as the fourth biggest in Europe.