On an area of around 21 hectares of contiguous land, Saarland's largest contiguous solar park is being built on an open space above the Hartungshof in Bliesransbach.
The invitation to the groundbreaking ceremony of the Bürger-Solarpark Hartungshof on July 4, 2022, was followed by, among others, Mr. Jürgen Barke, Minister for Economy, Innovation, Digital Affairs and Energy, Andreas Hoffmann, Managing Director of Greencells GmbH, Mayor Rainer Lang, and numerous members of the municipal committees, the municipal administration, as well as environmental organizations.
"The citizen solar park Hartungshof is a flagship project that brings us another step closer to independent energy supply. The massive expansion of renewable energies is no longer just ecologically necessary, but also industrially strategic. In the long term, this is the way to reduce dependence on oil and gas and to lower prices," said Economics Minister Jürgen Barke.
Mayor Rainer Lang: "We are not just talking about climate protection and the energy transition, we are also acting accordingly! It is now clear that the war in Ukraine and its consequences further increase the urgency of this energy transition. I am pleased that, after two years of intensive planning, we are now able to begin construction of the Bürger-Solarpark Hartungshof today."
In its meeting on March 8, 2022, the municipal council created the planning law prerequisite for the implementation of the project by adopting the development plan "Citizen Solar Park Hartungshof" as a statute.
After the required amendment of the land use plan, the building permit for the construction of the solar park could already be granted on June 7, 2022.
After completion, the facility, consisting of approximately 34,000 solar modules, will generate nearly 21 megawatts of electricity – enough to supply the entire municipality of Kleinblittersdorf, including all commercial enterprises, with green electricity. Over a period of 20 years, more than 650,000 tons of CO2 can be saved, according to Greencells.
The installation of the state-of-the-art solar modules, which change their angle throughout the day following the sun's movement, is managed by the Saarland-based Greencells Group as the project developer – a globally operating service provider specializing in the development, construction, and maintenance of large-scale solar power plants, headquartered in Saarbrücken.
In addition to contributing to sustainability through green, CO2-free electricity, the solar park will also provide a direct benefit to the citizens of Kleinblittersdorf. Residents of the Kleinblittersdorf municipality will have preferential access to participate in the solar park, after which participation will be open to all interested citizens. The start of the financial citizen participation is planned to coincide with the grid connection. The public will be informed in due time.
This way, not only the environment benefits from the solar power produced, but also the citizens who can participate in the economic success and at the same time support the energy transition.
The photovoltaic power plant is scheduled to be connected to the grid as early as this autumn.
