Statkraft, Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy, has commissioned Germany’s largest solar and battery hybrid power plant under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).

The €45 million facility was built on approximately 41 hectares of a former gravel pit in Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt. The 46.4 MW farm will generate nearly 50,000 MWh of green electricity per year, enough to supply around 14,000 households and prevent approximately 32,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The electricity produced receives a market premium under the EEG innovation tender.

The storage system consists of 88 battery cubes, each with 16 lithium-ion batteries and a total capacity of 16 MW, capable of storing up to 57 MWh of electricity. The batteries can store excess electricity generated during the day and release it in the evening or at night when solar production is low. This increases the profitability of the solar park while helping to stabilize the power grid and electricity prices.

The plant has been feeding electricity into the grid since October 2025, with final tests underway to ensure a stable grid connection. The Zerbst hybrid plant is the first of its kind developed in-house by Statkraft in Germany, where the company has steadily built up its project development portfolio, currently totaling a potential 4,000 MW across wind, solar, and storage projects.

Construction, from groundbreaking to inauguration, was completed in just twelve months, meeting the scheduled timeline despite frequent delays in other energy infrastructure projects.

The project also provides financial benefits to the city of Zerbst/Anhalt, which will receive revenue from trade taxes and a voluntary municipal tax from Statkraft estimated at around €100,000, which the city can freely allocate.

The plant was inaugurated by Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister-President, Dr. Reiner Haseloff, who stated: “The Zerbst solar park is a lighthouse project that shows how the energy transition is succeeding in Saxony-Anhalt. With this project, the region demonstrates that we can implement the energy transition pragmatically and efficiently. The innovative storage technology makes this hybrid plant an important building block for grid stability and reliable energy supply. We need showcase projects like this nationwide.”

Barbara Flesche, Executive Vice President for Europe at Statkraft, added: “With the Zerbst solar park, we have implemented a major energy transition project quickly and efficiently. With this success, Statkraft has proven itself to be a reliable partner for energy infrastructure projects and one of the most important companies in the energy transition in Germany.”