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.
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.’
Spring 2025
Preparations for start-up.
Following this, precautions will be taken on the Gira Campus Röntgenstraße to connect both company locations to the so-called medium voltage. Two transformer stations will ensure that the high voltage of the power plant electricity is converted into the ten kilovolt medium voltage in the distribution networks. In order to operate the plant remotely, fibre optic cables will be laid in addition to the power cables by April 2025 to connect the technical centre with the company locations. Finally, the PV power plant will be officially approved and certified before both Gira locations can be connected. The plan is to put the Gira solar park into operation in early summer 2025.
More about sustainability at Gira.
1 The reduction relates to Scope 2 emissions (GHG Protocol) compared to the base year 2021.