The Gira solar park is emerging. Because long-term climate protection needs short-term goals.
The Gira solar park is emerging. Because long-term climate protection needs short-term goals.
With the Gira solar park, we produce
10,000,000 kWh of solar power.
From 2025. Year after year. Without any CO₂.
An important component of our climate strategy.
One of the largest photovoltaic power plants in North Rhine-Westphalia is to be built by early summer next year on an area of 70,000 square metres on the B229 federal road in the direction of Halver. The plant's 13,794 photovoltaic modules - each with an output of 650 watts - will generate almost ten million kilowatts of electricity per year.
We are increasing the share of renewable energies in total electricity production and at the same time making ourselves less dependent on the global electricity market. As part of the Gira climate strategy, this will enable us to permanently reduce our electricity-related CO₂ emissions by over 50 %.1
This reduction is set to be even greater in the future, as we will gradually replace technologies previously powered by natural gas with alternatives that can run on solar power. In future, for example, large heat pumps will be used to heat our buildings instead of our combined heat and power plants, and we will use compressors instead of absorption systems for cooling.
Project progression.
July 2024
Green light for the Gira solar park.
At its meeting today, the Radevormwald town council cleared the way for the construction of a solar park. The necessary amendment to the development plan was unanimously approved by the members of the municipal parliament. The Gira solar park will be built on three contiguous plots of land on the B229 trunk road in the direction of Halver, not far from the two company sites in the Mermbach industrial estate.
September 2024
Almost 10 million kilowatt hours of ‘green’ electricity.
A total of 13,794 photovoltaic modules are to be assembled and installed by mid-January 2025. Gira has commissioned Apricus Solar AG from Dortmund, which specialises in commercial and industrial solar power plants, to do this. ‘Originally, we had expected over 20,000 modules,’ says Dietmar Daszkiewicz. ‘However, Apricus advised us to use larger and more efficient PV elements with an output of 650 watts instead of the previously planned 450 watts per module.’ This also increases the annual energy yield to 9.8 million kilowatt hours - an increase of 15 per cent compared to the previous planning.
September 2024
Preparatory work is in full swing.
Vor allem die Tiefbauarbeiten sollen abgeschlossen sein, bevor einsetzender Frost diese Arbeiten erschwert. So sind auf dem rund 70.000 Quadratmeter großen Grundstück an der Bundesstraße 229 in Richtung Halver, bereits Kabel verlegt worden, die die Beleuchtung und Videoüberwachung des Areals mit Strom versorgen, solange der Solarpark noch nicht in Betrieb ist. Auch auf dem Firmengelände am Gira Campus Röntgenstraße werden Kabel ins Erdreich eingebracht, über die ab Sommer 2025 das dortige Produktions-, Logistik- und Entwicklungszentrum mit Solarstrom versorgt werden wird.
October 2024
Official project start for the Gira solar park.
In the presence of the Mayor of Radevormwald, Johannes Mans, and numerous representatives of companies involved in the project, Managing Director Sebastian Marz and Energy Manager Giancarlo Paasch officially launched the construction of the Gira Solar Park on 28 October 2024.
November 2024
6,940 legs for 345 tables.
Once planning permission has been granted by the town of Radevormwald, the substructures for the photovoltaic modules, which rest on 6,940 posts embedded in the ground, will be erected by the beginning of 2025. The frame constructions will be assembled into a total of 345 ‘PV tables’, each 30 metres long and almost three metres deep, each with 40 modules. ‘This construction method prevents unnecessary sealing of the green areas,’ says Energy Manager Paasch. ‘This type of roofing is even beneficial for the flora and biodiversity in our solar park.’
February 2025
The solar park is taking shape.
Over 95 percent of the solar park's 13,772 photovoltaic modules have now been installed on the approximately 70,000 square meter site. The PV modules cover a total area of 37,200 square meters - roughly the size of 143 tennis courts.
Spring 2025
On schedule.
A total of around 240 kilometres of cable are currently being laid both on the solar park site and from the company sites in Dahlienstrasse and Röntgenstrasse to the PV power plant. The biggest obstacles - crossing under a watercourse and the federal highway 483 - have already been successfully overcome. There are still 50 metres to go before the Gira production, development and logistics centre in Röntgenstrasse is connected to the solar park; a further 300 metres of cable still need to be laid underground before the Gira Campus Dahlienstraße with its plastics production facility is connected to the company's own emission-free power generation. ‘We are right on schedule,’ confirms Dietmar Daszkiewicz. ‘Provided nothing unforeseen intervenes, I expect our solar park to be supplying climate-friendly electricity from the second half of June.’
More about sustainability at Gira.
1 The reduction relates to Scope 2 emissions (GHG Protocol) compared to the base year 2021.