A unique agrivoltaic system has been inaugurated in Donnerskirchen, in Austria’s Burgenland region. The 6.6 MW agrivoltaic installation uses single-axis trackers and supplies the electricity it generates directly to the country’s 16.7 Hz railway power grid.
Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) receives solar power directly through its railway electricity network, while Esterhazy Betriebe AG continues organic farming operations on the site. Local energy company Burgenland Energie was also involved in developing the project.
According to ÖBB, the installation is Austria’s first tracking agrivoltaic system designed specifically to supply railway power. Built on a seven-hectare site alongside the railway line, the plant is expected to generate around 8.3 GWh of electricity annually. The output is fed directly into the railway grid and can cover the equivalent of approximately 32,500 train journeys per year between Vienna and Eisenstadt, a distance of around 60 kilometers.
“By feeding electricity directly into the railway grid, we increase supply security while simultaneously reducing energy losses,” said Silvia Angelo, board member of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG. “Such solutions are a key part of our strategy to make railway operations increasingly independent of fossil fuels over the long term and to further strengthen ÖBB’s role as one of Austria’s leading companies in climate protection.”
Matthias Grün, CEO of Esterhazy Betriebe, emphasized the dual-use potential of the project. “Agrivoltaics allow us to preserve agricultural land while simultaneously harnessing solar energy,” he said.
The project design incorporates existing landscape features, including ditches and hedges, to maintain open areas and support agricultural use. Esterhazy has been researching suitable crops and operating concepts for agrivoltaic sites for several years and sees advantages at the Donnerskirchen location. The crops benefit from protection provided by the solar structures, while the photovoltaic system benefits from natural cooling effects that can improve performance, according to the project developers.
The tracker-based system was designed to maintain the soil’s natural water permeability. Additional ecological measures, including extensive planting, are being implemented to preserve habitats for native species.
The project partners describe the installation as a triple-use concept, combining renewable electricity generation, organic agricultural production, and biodiversity enhancement on the same site.
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