Verbund and OMV build the largest PV plant in Austria 

The energy groups Verbund (electricity) and OMV (oil and gas) are building Austria's largest photovoltaic plant in the Weinviertel region northeast of Vienna at a cost of 10 million euros. It is to cover one tenth of the electricity consumption of OMV Austria and also serve as a pilot project for further such PV plants also abroad, the management boards of the companies explained on Wednesday.

The plant is being financed in equal parts by the two companies without any subsidies from the state or federal government, and its service life is expected to be a good 40 years. Another plant is being considered for the Mühlberg landfill site near Altlichtenwarth (Lower Austria) in the northern Weinviertel region. Abroad, Romania, Norway or New Zealand could be considered, it was said.

The first construction phase for the PV pilot plant in Schönkirchen-Reyersdorf near Gänserndorf is scheduled for completion as early as the end of 2020. By then, the first 34,600 PV modules are to be installed on a 13.3 hectare (133,200 m2) OMV site, with a further 10,400 to follow by the end of 2021.

From the end of the year, the plant is expected to generate 10.96 gigawatt hours of solar power per year, which corresponds to the consumption of 3,400 households and saves around 8,000 tons of CO2. In the final stage, 14.25 GWh will be generated (4,400 households) and an additional 2,400 tons of CO2 will be saved.