On 23 September, the City of Chemnitz and eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG provided information to interested members of the public about the planned ground-mounted photovoltaic plant along the Chemnitz–Leipzig railway line, on both sides of the former Wittgensdorf Upper Station.
The plant is planned for around 7.6 hectares of agricultural land south-east of the Sachsen Guss GmbH industrial site. Two construction sites are envisaged, with a combined capacity of around 7.4 megawatts. The approximately 11,500 solar modules are expected to generate around 7.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. The plant is to be operated for at least 20 years and then either dismantled or technically upgraded.
‘eins energie in sachsen’ submitted the planning application for the plant in December 2024. Approval is expected by the end of this year.
Construction of the plant is scheduled for next year, with a build time of around four months. Due to its location alongside the railway line, the project is classified under planning law as a ‘privileged project’ in an outlying area, for which no local development plan procedure is required. Its admissibility will be assessed as part of a simplified planning permission procedure.
Protection of nature and soil
Among other things, a species conservation assessment and a landscape management plan have been drawn up for the project. Particular attention was paid to birds and bats. The land, which has previously been used for intensive agriculture, is to be managed in future as grassland free from biocides, herbicides and fertilisers. The plan is to use native, flower-rich seed and to implement measures to protect the skylark. The orchard meadow, copses, field margins and the tree population worthy of protection are to be preserved. A gap of 15 to 20 centimetres between the fence and the ground is to be left to allow small animals to pass through.
Soil sealing will be limited to what is strictly necessary. A maximum of 173 square metres is earmarked for fence posts and 45 square metres for transformer stations. Construction access roads and storage areas are also to be kept as small as possible. Land not in use will be protected and, where necessary, recultivated.
Rainwater is to continue to infiltrate directly into the ground via the vegetated soil layer. A technical infiltration system is not required. According to the information available, the site is located outside drinking water protection zones and contaminated sites.
Glare, noise and privacy protection
Low-glare modules with an anti-reflective coating will be used. Test reports and data sheets confirming compliance with the relevant noise limits are available for the inverters and transformer stations. The technical installations will be positioned away from the residential development; the systems will not be in operation at night.
To protect the character of the village and the landscape, a distance of three rows of modules is maintained within the heritage conservation area. A hedge is also intended to serve as a privacy screen.
Further consultation
The relevant comments raised during the information event will be taken into account in the further planning permission process.
The City of Chemnitz will provide separate information regarding the granting of the planning permission.