German energy company RWE has commissioned several large-scale solar farms along the A44n motorway in North Rhine-Westphalia following approximately eight months of construction. The solar installation has a total capacity of 86.5 megawatts peak (74.6 MWac) and consists of about 141,000 solar modules capable of generating enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 27,700 German households with climate-friendly electricity.

Project Location and Infrastructure

The project sites are located in the Rhenish region to the west and east of the A44n motorway between the towns of Bedburg and Jüchen. The solar farms are constructed on recultivated land at the Garzweiler opencast mine. RWE is simultaneously constructing the Bedburg 3 wind farm with nine turbines and a total capacity of around 60 megawatts close to the A44n solar sites.

According to Katja Wünschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, “The commissioning of the solar farms alongside the motorway shows that we are consistently driving forward the expansion of our solar portfolio. And we aren't done there yet. Next year, we will add several thousand solar modules to the project. With wind and solar systems side by side, we are building a renewable energy road on recultivated land along the A44n motorway as a blueprint for further projects in the region.”

Planned Expansion and Future Development

RWE has outlined plans for a second stage of the solar farm project with a capacity of 19.9 megawatts peak (15.5 MWac) scheduled for next year. More than 30,600 additional solar modules are planned for installation on recultivated land in the municipal area of Jüchen. Subject to planning permission, construction could begin in the first half of 2026, with commissioning planned for the end of 2026.

The company notes that solar projects along motorways benefit from faster approval processes and, in most cases, enjoy higher public acceptance. A strip of land alongside the A44n near Bedburg became the site of a photovoltaic plant constructed by RWE last year. In the immediate vicinity, RWE is also trialling the combination of agriculture and green electricity generation at its agrivoltaics demonstration plant.

Regional Renewable Energy Portfolio

RWE currently builds and operates solar and wind projects with a total capacity of 540 megawatts in the Rhenish region. The company now operates nine solar projects in the Rhenish region, four of which have their own integrated battery storage units. Additional photovoltaic projects in the region are at the planning stage.

One planned project is the Manheimer Bucht solar farm, which will be located in the southern part of the Hambach opencast mine in the municipal area of Kerpen. Next year, about 26,500 solar modules will be installed over about 14.5 hectares, equivalent to about 20 football pitches. Following completion at the end of 2026, this solar farm will have a capacity of 17.2 megawatts peak (14.3 MWac).

Integration with Mining Operations

Dr Lars Kulik, CTO Lignite at RWE Power, emphasized the connection between the renewable energy projects and the company's mining operations. “The solar and wind projects on recultivated land along the A44n emphasise that structural change and the expansion of renewables in the Rhenish lignite area are going hand in hand.

There is plenty of space in and around our opencast mines, which we are also using for renewable energy projects. In addition, RWE Power employees contribute their knowledge and experience to support the construction and subsequent operation of the solar and wind farms. This means we are creating further prospects for our employees here in the region.”

The project demonstrates RWE's strategy of utilizing recultivated mining land for renewable energy generation, creating what the company describes as a “renewable energy road” along the motorway infrastructure. The integration of solar and wind technologies on former mining sites represents a transition from fossil fuel extraction to clean energy production in the region.

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