ENERTRAG celebrates record year 2023/24 in project development
ENERTRAG achieved outstanding success in the 2023/24 financial year after evaluating all German projects. With a total of 233 MW of approvals in the wind sector, this is the best result in terms of new approvals ever achieved by ENERTRAG's project development activities. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in particular stood out with 111 approved megawatts. Thanks to political support, numerous projects in Brandenburg, which had stagnated in lengthy approval procedures, were also able to get underway.
There was also considerable progress in North Rhine-Westphalia and Central Germany: licences were granted for the first time in the Hochsauerland district and our repowering project in Roitzsch (Saxony-Anhalt) was approved. The team in Lower Saxony celebrated the construction of the single turbine in Ramelsloh (municipality of Seevetal), which marks another milestone as the first commissioning in Lower Saxony after ten years of approval.
In addition to licences, a record result was also achieved in terms of new applications submitted. With 413 MW of licence applications, the foundation was laid for continued high licence figures. The submission of the first applications in promising planning regions in Schleswig-Holstein, which are now hoping for rapid processing and realisation, is also pleasing. ENERTRAG is also strengthening its expertise as a full-service provider for the development and realisation of repowering plants. With the successful dismantling of four DeWind turbines and the subsequent start of construction of two new turbines in Roitzsch, ENERTRAG was once again able to demonstrate its expertise in the repowering market segment.
With 19.5 MW commissioned in the wind sector, all targets were also achieved. Although this figure appears low in comparison to the high number of approvals, ENERTRAG expects that most of the approved plants will be connected to the grid in the next two financial years and that the number of commissionings will therefore increase significantly.
While the wind sector has made significant progress in terms of approvals, ENERTRAG's fledgling photovoltaic division is also taking off. Remarkable successes have also been achieved in this sector. With the approval of the 44 MW park in Brüssow, an important foundation stone was laid for the further expansion of the Uckermark integrated power plant (Verbundkraftwerk Uckermark). The conclusion of a contract in the Barnim district for a total area of 250 ha and the positive decision by the building committee to draw up the necessary development plan should also be emphasised. At the same time, the first large-scale free-field solar project Kreuz Uckermark with 20 MW was commissioned early in the past financial year.
Promising projects are being brought forward in order to speed up the approval process in the photovoltaic sector. Approvals for both the Brüssow project and the PV system for the Heidekrautbahn project are expected in the near future.
Tom Lange, Head of Wind and PV Germany, emphasises: "These successes are the result of consistent teamwork. ENERTRAG greatly appreciates the outstanding achievements of all employees in project development and project approval in the wind and PV sector. On this basis, we are confident about future challenges and successful projects."