IFE Eriksen AG to construct solar farm on air base in Oldenburg

Oldenburg-based IFE Eriksen AG today announced the construction of a solar farm rated at 12.4 MW on the Oldenburg portion of the air base. This will involve around 53,000 solar modules being installed over a 26.7-hectare site. The City of Oldenburg acquired the land recently and will sign a lease agreement for the site.

 IFE Eriksen AG will be investing around EUR 23 million in the construction of this solar farm, via an operating company owned by the Eriksen Group. The aim is to have the solar power station feeding in eco-friendly power to the EWE AG grid by the end of 2011.

"The solar farm will feed in 11.4 million kWh annually – roughly the amount required to supply 3,500 four-person households in Oldenburg with solar power," comments Jakobus Smit, member of the Management Board of IFE Eriksen AG.  "In addition, around 7,400 tonnes of CO2 will be saved every year."

"We are making arrangements for the citizens of the City of Oldenburg to participate in this project financially," adds Heiner Willers, also a member IFE Eriksen AG’s Management Board.

At the end of 2010, IFE Eriksen AG brought two solar farms online: a 5.5 MW park in Italy and a 2.3 MW park in Cuxhaven. The company is currently constructing a 7.8 MW solar farm in Oranienburg and thus proceeding successfully with its solar power investment strategy. At the same time, IFE Eriksen AG is also building a 18.4 MW wind farm in the Wesermarsch district.

"Investment in renewable energy sources has a future," comments Jakobus Smit. "The nuclear power exit strategy recently passed by the German government and the associated provisions of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will ensure that many more projects can yet be implemented in the region," he adds.