Historical German lignite site converted to solar park on old east-west border

 

The construction of RP Global's first German solar PV park has begun on the spoil tip of one of Germany's oldest lignite mining areas. The 50MWp solar project is located in Harbke, an historic location on the former East-West border.

 

Harbke/Leipzig, 27.08.25 – RP Global is building a solar park on the border between Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony. Following the successful completion of an extensive approval process, construction work has now begun on the former Wulfersdorf spoil tip in the district of Börde. In its first phase, the PV plant Harbke will reach a capacity of 50 MWp. This is the first German project by RP Global, developed in collaboration with EPC MaxSolar. An expansion of the project is planned for the future.

Sustainable land use: spoil tip becomes green energy project

The solar park Harbke is being built on an area that has been shaped by humans for a long time and is already crisscrossed by two existing power lines. Thanks to this infrastructure, the electricity generated in future can be fed into the grid efficiently and without the need for additional power lines.

Harbke is of historical significance when it comes to energy production – lignite has been mined here for decades. After the Second World War, the open-cast mine was divided and used as an important source of energy on both sides of the border. Following a decision by the municipality of Harbke to repurpose the area, green electricity will now be generated here.

A special circumstance is being taken into account in the construction: access to the project site runs along the former border, the so-called "death strip". The border strip, left behind by the GDR border guards in 1989 and better known as the "Kolonnenweg", is a listed historical monument. Rigorous precautions are therefore taken to preserve the historical elements when delivering the park components to the construction site.

The Harbke PV plant is one of the most significant energy projects in the area. The district of Börde actively promotes the expansion of solar power and has been included in the 'Global Sustainable Municipality nationwide' initiative as one of five model municipalities. The aim is to systematically integrate Agenda 2030 and its 17 global sustainability goals (SDGs) into administrative structures. Harbke can make a decisive contribution towards the municipality's sustainability objectives.

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