IFE Eriksen AG to construct solar farm in Oranienburg

Oldenburg-based IFE Eriksen AG today announced the construction of a solar farm with a rated output of 7.8 MW on a disused military airfield in Oranienburg in the German state of Brandenburg. The former military property has a size of 17 ha and was sold to the Eriksen Group last year by the Brandenburgische Boden Gesellschaft für Grundstücksgesellschaft und -Verwertung mbH. Before work could begin, the building authorities required a document confirming that the site had been cleared of ordnance. Extensive munitions search and disposal work was therefore necessary.

"Before the end of August, over 33,000 solar modules will be feeding eco-friendly electricity into the grid run by Stadtwerke Oranienburg and our solar farm will thus be helping the state of Brandenburg to achieve the objectives set in its climate policy," comments Heiner Willers, member of the Management Board of IFE Eriksen AG. "We are convinced that the construction of solar farms on disused military sites offers an outstanding set of prospects – especially in this federal state. This is also the reason why we are now expanding our team based at Prenzlau in Brandenburg."

IFE Eriksen AG will be investing around EUR 16 million in the construction of this solar farm, via a holding company owned by the Eriksen Group. Since fluctuations are relatively small, predictable figures are available for annual energy yields, meaning that banks offer long-term financing for solar power plants.

Following the construction of solar power plants in Cuxhaven (2.3 MW) and Corinaldo in Italy (5.5 MW), as well as a number of rooftop systems (4 MW), the Group is thus expanding its portfolio to a total output of 19.4 MW in the solar farm sector.

Alongside the operation of solar farms in Germany and Italy, IFE Eriksen AG also focuses on the development and operation of wind farms in Germany. Through holding companies owned by the Group, IFE Eriksen AG now runs wind farms as a sole operator at four locations in Germany, with an aggregate output of 35 MW. In addition, IFE Eriksen is responsible for the technical and commercial operation of 14 wind farms with an overall output of 96 MW.