Europe’s largest solar power plant stands on 200,000 screws
23.12.2014Unrivalled construction: Krinner Schraubfundamente GmbH is erecting the currently largest photovoltaic project under construction in Europe. For this purpose, the family-owned business from Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria, Germany, is deploying drones, GPS-controlled surveying robots and innovative machines. Nearly 200,000 galvanized ground screws are being driven into the ground in Cestas in the south of France. Within ten months, this will create a photovoltaic power plant that will supply the City of Bordeaux with cost-effective and environmentally clean energy.
Krinner Schraubfundamente GmbH's most important commission to date started in early December. In just under ten months, more than 326 kilometres of ground-mounted support frames are being installed in the south of France, which will support almost one million PV modules. “We’re absolutely delighted about this mega-project. After all, we’re promoting solar power, which is safe and environmentally sustainable,” says company founder Klaus Krinner, in explaining how his company can construct solar power plants extremely efficiently, quickly and cost-effectively.
Cutting edge technology from Straßkirchen, Germany
It all started with a rotary clothes line in the former farmer’s garden. Instead of laboriously pouring concrete foundations, Klaus Krinner looked for an environmentally friendly solution and invented the ground screw. KRINNER now deploys high-tech technology and cutting-edge screwing machines. “Innovation is our daily business,” emphasises the entrepreneur from Straßkirchen near Straubing, Germany, who points out that 150 patents have already been filed. KRINNER mounts not only solar power plants on ground screws but also carports, wooden bridges, terraces, container buildings and playground equipment – all without concrete and therefore extremely quickly and cost-effectively.
Installation with drones, robots and innovative screwing machines
It is planned to install the photovoltaic power plant in Cestas, which covers a 260-hectare site, in record time. On the construction site, specialists from KRINNER are checking the soil conditions in advance. A drone will then fly above the site, whose data will be used to create a detailed 3D model. A GPS-controlled robot will then measure the site. State-of-the-art machines will then drive the approximately 200,000 ground screws into the ground to the nearest millimetre. Ultimately almost one million PV modules will be installed. The power plant has a capacity of 300 megawatts peak (MWp). Thanks to the development of modern storage facilities, in future it will even be possible to secure energy supplies for the City of Bordeaux at night. The ground-mounted PV system does not produce emissions, noise or odours.
Efficient and high-performance energy generation
Worldwide, Krinner Schraubfundamente GmbH has to date installed PV power plants totalling more than 1,500 megawatts peak. That is enough to supply a major city with electricity or replace five coal-fired power plants or the most powerful nuclear power reactor in the world, underlines Klaus Krinner. The power plant in Cestas is being realised in a consortium together with two leading companies in the solar energy industry: the Clemessy-Eiffage Group is responsible for the overall construction and Schneider Electric is looking after the operational energy management. The total volume of the contract amounts to almost 300 million euros. The area around Bordeaux is particularly ideal for constructing ground-mounted systems since – with around 2,000 hours of sunshine per year – it provides excellent conditions for solar power plants. Since last year, KRINNER has in particular been stepping up its business in overseas sales regions. In addition to several French projects, a particular focus is on giant solar plants in Japan and Chile.
Back
