German steelmaker decarbonises with Iberdrola solar power

Utility giant Iberdrola has completed a solar power plant in Germany that will supply 60GWh of renewable energy for 15 years to steelmaker Salzgitter.

The new plant, which has a capacity of 65MWp and is located in Saxony-Anhalt, will be used to provide renewable energy for Salzgitter’s steel production, a notoriously difficult sector to decarbonise and electrify.

The solar park covers 45 hectares – roughly the size of 60 football pitches – and comprises more than 92,000 solar modules.

With an expected annual production of around 60GWh, the plant will supply enough renewable electricity to power more than 20,000 households – avoiding over 23,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. 

Electricity generated from the solar plant will be purchased in its entirety by Salzgitter via a 15-year PPA of 900GWh announced in 2024. 

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Felipe Montero, Managing Director of Iberdrola Germany, said the solar plant "is another milestone for our German onshore portfolio". 

“We are demonstrating that the combination of strong partners, modern technology and long-term industrial cooperation is driving the energy transition forward in a concrete way. With Salzgitter, we have a partner that is clearly committed to sustainable transformation – and we are delighted to be embarking on this journey together."

Construction of the solar park was carried out in several project phases together with specialised project partners Solarpro, P&Q and EMT.

Reducing carbon emissions is a challenging process for the steel industry, a hard-to-abate sector due to the nature of their processes and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels. 

Such sectors, which also include shipping, aviation, heavy transport and cement production, tend to require high energy inputs and specific chemical reactions, making electrification difficult. 

Decarbonising steel will once again be high on the agenda at Enlit's European Industrial Energy Days event this year, which takes place in Rotterdam in March. Further details here.