German utility EnBW has inaugurated a hybrid renewable energy park in Gundelsheim, Baden-Württemberg, combining solar power, wind energy, and battery storage at a single location as part of its broader renewables expansion strategy.
The first component of the site—a 58 megawatt (MW) solar installation—has entered operation. Covering 55 hectares and equipped with 110,000 photovoltaic modules, the solar park is expected to produce enough electricity to power approximately 30,000 households annually.
The facility also includes an innovative energy storage system that combines 12 second-life Audi e-tron batteries with a sodium-ion system, creating what EnBW says is Europe’s largest hybrid installation of its kind. The unit has a capacity of 2.25 megawatt-hours (MWh) and an output of 1.22MW.
Research into the integration of the different technologies is being carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, supported by funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
“In the right mix and on the right scale, this creates an integral energy system that strikes the right balance between cost-effectiveness, reliability and sustainability,” said EnBW chief executive Georg Stamatelopoulos.
In addition to supporting Germany’s energy transition, the project is also expected to generate local economic benefits through land lease payments, trade tax revenues, and ecological measures. These include the creation of wildflower strips, a wildlife corridor, and the restoration of a pond in the surrounding area.
EnBW described the Gundelsheim energy park as a key step in its clean energy strategy, noting that 2025 is expected to be its most active year for new capacity additions.
