26 Jul 2019

Axpo Deutschland, Axpo's subsidiary for the German market, has concluded a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for solar power without any state subsidies for the first time. It is one of the very first PPAs in the German solar market.

Subsidies for electricity from renewable energies such as sun and wind are declining in many European energy markets, including Germany. Nevertheless, the German photovoltaic market is becoming increasingly interesting for investors. By means of long-term power purchase agreements, PV projects can be realized without any state subsidies.

Power purchase agreement

Thanks to a power purchase agreement with Axpo Deutschland, the investor SEAC Holding GmbH, together with the developer and EPC service provider MaxSolar GmbH, has erected an open-air solar park in southern Bavaria.

Axpo Deutschland is going to purchase the electricity produced from the solar park

The 1.5-MW plant southeast of Munich produces around 1,570-megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year. This corresponds to the consumption of 450 average four-person households. During the first five years, Axpo Deutschland is going to purchase the electricity produced from the solar park at a defined price and market it on a long-term basis. It is one of the very first PPAs in the German solar market.

Renewable energy producers

Christoph Bilshausen, Head Origination Axpo Deutschland, comments: "Thanks to our power purchase agreements, projects in the field of renewable energies can now be realized without state subsidies. At the same time, we are building a bridge between the renewable energy producers and our full-service customers.”

Power purchase agreements are an important growth area in the energy sector. Axpo has sound expertise in the area of PPAs and is active in 39 markets worldwide. For example, it was recently possible to build a solar park in Évora (Portugal) without any state subsidies for the first time thanks to a long-term price and purchase guarantee provided by Axpo. Axpo has been active in the German market since 2003. In addition to its PPA business, Axpo Deutschland's core competencies include services in the areas of energy procurement, marketing, and structuring.