Austrian energy company Energie Steiermark, in partnership with Enery Development, has commenced the construction of an agrivoltaic (agri-PV) facility near Graz, which is expected to generate over 22 GWh of solar electricity annually.
The project, with an investment of approximately EUR 13 million (USD 14.6 million), is scheduled to become operational in 2025 and will provide clean energy to more than 6,000 households.
The solar park, located in Dobl-Zwaring on a 20-hectare site, will integrate electricity production with sheep farming. Once completed, the facility will help reduce over 6,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
This initiative will create the largest photovoltaic park in the Austrian state of Styria, supporting the region's goal to quadruple its solar energy production by 2030.
Energie Steiermark, which connected 340 MW of solar power to the grid in 2023, plans to invest over EUR 1.5 billion by 2030 to enhance Styria's energy infrastructure.
A substantial portion—over EUR 600 million—will focus on expanding renewable energy, primarily through solar projects.
“Our solar power initiative aims to install 300 MW of capacity in the coming years, which could power more than 100,000 households solely with solar energy,” board members Christian Purrer and Martin Graf stated.