Agri-PV with Battery Storage: Ylektra Develops 50 MW Hybrid Project in Rheinhessen

Armsheim (Germany) – The combination of agri-photovoltaics (agri-PV) and battery storage is emerging as an important building block of the energy transition. Agri-PV allows agricultural land to be used simultaneously for crop farming and solar power generation, while battery storage increases the flexibility of power supply and can relieve strain on electricity grids.

A new project in Rheinhessen is now set to put this concept into practice. The municipality of Armsheim has created the planning-law prerequisites for the scheme. With the adoption of an urban development agreement, the municipal council gave the go-ahead for further planning and approval procedures for a project developed by Ylektra GmbH.

50 MW Project Reaches Key Milestone

With the council's decision, the project has reached an important milestone on its way to implementation. Ylektra, a Cologne-based developer specializing in Agri-PV and battery storage, plans to build an Agri-PV plant with a capacity of around 50 MW on some 70 hectares of land west of the A 61 motorway. The annual electricity output is expected to cover the equivalent demand of around 20,000 households.

The project also includes a large-scale storage system capable of temporarily storing the solar power generated for two to four hours. This is intended to make feed-in timing more flexible and to relieve the local grid, particularly during periods of high load.

The council's decision followed consultations with the Rheinhessen-Nahe regional planning association, the Alzey-Worms district administration, the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture, and other relevant authorities. The public and other stakeholders will be involved in the further process. In parallel, an amendment to the land use plan of the Wörrstadt municipal association is being prepared.

"With this flagship project in the Wörrstadt municipal association, we are showing that the energy transition and agriculture are not mutually exclusive – they belong together. We need both: the production of agricultural goods on the high-quality farmland found here in Rheinhessen, and the generation of renewable energy for the energy transition. This project has the potential to serve as a model far beyond the Wörrstadt municipal association. I am proud that we in Rheinhessen are once again doing pioneering work," said Markus Conrad, Mayor.

Agri-PV and Storage Increasingly Complement Each Other

Agri-PV allows agricultural land to be used simultaneously for crop farming and solar power generation. Unlike conventional ground-mounted systems, the land largely remains usable for farming.

According to Ylektra, around 90 percent of the project area in Armsheim will remain under cultivation. This is made possible by single-axis tracking solar modules with a row spacing of 13.5 meters, leaving a twelve-meter working width between the module rows so the land can continue to be farmed with conventional agricultural machinery.

The existing crop rotation of sugar beet and grain is to be maintained. Flowering strips and green strips are also planned to support biodiversity. According to the company, the modules can additionally reduce evaporation and improve the soil's water balance, particularly during extended periods of heat and drought.

Source: IWR Online, 17 Jul 2026