INTILION, Qair and Leipzig municipal utilities put innovative solar storage power plant into operation
Priestewitz, 20.03.2023. The provider of energy storage solutions INTILION, the independent power producer Qair and Leipzig’s municipal utility company ceremonially commissioned a solar storage power plant in Priestewitz today. At the heart of the plant is the INTILION | scalecube large-scale storage system, which temporarily stores the energy from the 13.5 MWp solar park. The hybrid plant is the first project in the innovation tender of the Federal Network Agency to be connected to the power grid in Saxony. At the event, Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and the mayor of Priestewitz Manuela Gajewi emphasized how important the green power plant is for Saxony and the community.
“Saxony is a technology-open, innovative state – we see this in Meißen County, among other places. Here in the Free State, we have large parts of the battery value chain: cutting-edge research, suppliers and manufacturers, on whose expertise we can build. That makes us optimistic. After all, large-scale storage facilities like the one built by INTILION in Priestewitz are still rare in Saxony, and we will need many more if the energy transition is to succeed. Projects like this new large-scale energy storage facility and solar park make an important contribution to a secure power supply, which we must also ensure in the transition to a climate-neutral energy supply. At the same time, Saxony is developing a great deal as an energy and industrial state,” said Michael Kretschmer.
Mayor Manuela Gajewi added: “The construction of new photovoltaic plants and wind power should not be the only goal for the expansion of renewable energy: more efficient plants, the expansion of the distribution network and the development of efficient energy storage solutions must be the focus. After all, what good is green-generated energy if it does not arrive where and when it is needed? We are therefore pleased that the linking of green energy with innovative storage technology is being used in our community of Priestewitz.”
System saves 9,500 tons of carbon dioxide
In the future, around 36,000 solar modules will generate 14 million kilowatt hours of energy each year, enough to supply 4,000 households. In the process, the system will save 9,500 tons of carbon dioxide every year. INTILION’s energy storage solution, with a capacity of 3.7 megawatt hours, stores the solar energy temporarily and releases it into the public power grid when electricity is needed. “Our electricity storage system thus contributes to the stability of the power grid and makes climate-friendly electricity usable even when there is little or no solar radiation – for example, at night or in the evening hours. In this way, we are advancing the energy transition,” explained Dr. André Haubrock, CEO of INTILION AG.
The independent power producer Qair has driven the hybrid operation during planning and development. “We are pleased to have INTILION as a competent partner with great know-how at our side, who fulfills the requirements for innovation tenders 100 percent,” added Frank Polhaus, Head of PV at Qair Deutschland GmbH. With the tender, the German Federal Network Agency promotes combinations of renewable generation plants and storage facilities that feed in energy via the same grid interconnection point.
Broad approval from the community
“We at Leipziger Stadtwerke also see ourselves as a driving force for renewable energies in our region. This project was the first to be realized in Saxony as part of the innovation tender and is therefore very significant for Saxony,” said Marcel Werner, project manager at Leipziger Stadtwerke. The project financing is based on three pillars and does not only rely on the classic direct marketing according to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). A contract for a subsidy-free green power purchase agreement with a fixed term and fixed price was concluded with the funding partner Umweltbank. “The municipality is fully behind our project. This is shown by the broad approval of the community representatives and also the attractive financial participation by the project company,” Werner added. In addition to energy production, the area will also be used agriculturally in the future through sheep grazing. A flowering meadow and three lizard hotels on the site will also contribute to biodiversity.
Following the welcoming speeches and project presentations, event participants took the opportunity to see the inside of the warehouse. In addition to the project partners, they also included land owners.
About Leipziger Stadtwerke
As the market leader for electricity and heat in Leipzig, Leipziger Stadtwerke supplies people in Leipzig and the region with reliable and efficient energy and is actively helping to shape the local energy transition. Leipziger Stadtwerke is a Leipziger Group company and consistently pursues the goal of intelligently combining renewable, innovative and conventional technologies and ensuring an ecological and economical supply of energy to the people in the region. This includes, among other things, the further expansion of plants for the generation of renewable energies. Further information at: www.l.de/stadtwerke
About Qair
Qair Group is an independent power producer and exclusively produces renewable energy in 23 countries worldwide. With more than 30 years of experience, Qair develops, finances, builds and operates solar, onshore and offshore wind, hydropower and green hydrogen projects. Our team follows these projects throughout their lifecycle – from site analysis to repowering, making a valuable contribution to the transition to responsible energy.
Qair Germany is successfully positioned as a project developer, asset manager and operations manager. The Qair Germany team was acquired by the Qair Group in a major transaction in 2022. We have decades of experience in the renewable energy sector and are now sailing under a new flag in a very exciting environment – we consider ourselves part of the energy transition.
