Vattenfall Accelerates Wind and Solar Expansion in Germany as Project Pipeline Grows

Berlin, Germany – Vattenfall continues to expand its renewables portfolio in Germany. The energy company has commissioned the 46 MWp Nauen solar park in Brandenburg and, in parallel, expanded its onshore wind portfolio through the acquisition of a 43 MW project in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Germany remains a core growth market for Vattenfall's renewables strategy. The company is currently developing 5.2 GW of solar projects and 4 GW of battery storage capacity in the country, and has initiated permitting procedures for more than 1 GW of onshore wind capacity. Alongside its own project development, Vattenfall's growth approach also relies on acquisitions, shared use of grid infrastructure, and long-term power purchase agreements with industrial customers.

Nauen Solar Park to Supply Wieland with Power for Ten Years

The Nauen solar park west of Berlin, which reached technical commissioning in June 2026, has a capacity of 46 MWp and is expected to generate around 47 GWh of electricity annually. The plant, comprising roughly 80,000 solar modules, was built outside Germany's EEG feed-in tariff scheme.

The project is underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with copper manufacturer Wieland, which will take the solar park's entire electricity output over a ten-year period. According to Vattenfall, this volume corresponds to around 15 percent of the electricity Wieland procures annually for its German sites.

"The Nauen solar park example shows that power partnerships are a highly effective market-based instrument for further expanding independent, reliable, and locally rooted renewable energy generation," said Claus Wattendrup, Head of Solar and Batteries at Vattenfall.

Vattenfall Combines Two Wind Projects at a Shared Grid Connection

In parallel, Vattenfall is expanding its onshore wind portfolio. The company is acquiring the approved 43 MW Dittelsheim-Heßloch project in Rhineland-Palatinate from ABO Energy, comprising up to six wind turbines. Together with the neighboring Vattenfall project Mettenheim, the combined site could accommodate up to ten turbines with a total capacity of up to 70 MW.

Both wind farms have secured grid connections and are to be connected via a shared substation. Vattenfall expects this to deliver cost advantages and more efficient use of existing grid infrastructure.

In total, Vattenfall has now initiated permitting procedures for 26 wind energy projects in Germany. The submitted portfolio comprises more than 150 wind turbines with a combined installed capacity of over 1 GW, with a particular focus on projects in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.

Germany as a Growth Market: Grid Capacity and PPAs Become Key Factors

Looking ahead, Vattenfall sees both available grid connections and long-term power offtake agreements as increasingly important for further expansion in Germany. PPAs are intended in particular to provide large industrial customers with price and planning certainty while also underpinning new renewable energy projects.

On grid access, however, Vattenfall sees growing bottlenecks. Delayed grid connections could undermine project economics and delay investment decisions. The company is therefore calling for reliable regulatory conditions and grid expansion that keeps pace with the buildout of renewable energy.

Source: IWR Online, 07 Sep 2026