Published on: April 2, 2025 / update from: April 2, 2025 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
World largest solar park Schornhof on a former ammunition depot in Bavaria: From weapons to watt - symbol image: xpert.digital
How former military areas pave the way for solar parks
From ammunition depots to solar wonders: solar parks on disused ammunition depots
The change in former military areas at locations for renewable energies impressively shows how conversion areas can be used sustainably. In Bavaria, several remarkable solar parks were created on previous ammunition depots, with the solar park in Hemau near Regensburg as the world's largest of its kind.
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The pioneer: Hemau solar park
Hamburger Voltwerk AG put the then world's largest solar park in Hemau near Regensburg in 2003. On the site of a former ammunition depot, over 32,000 solar modules with a top output of around four megawatts were installed. The commissioning was carried out in the presence of the Bavarian Environment Minister Werner Schnappauf and marked a milestone in the development of large photovoltaic systems.
The performance of this solar park was sufficient to largely cover the electricity requirements of the approximately 4,600 inhabitants in Hemau. With an average of 1,229 kilowatt hours of sunlight per square meter a year, the location offered ideal conditions for solar power generation. The project costs amounted to around 18.4 million euros, which were financed through a participation concept, in which private investors were able to acquire shares in the solar park.
The technical implementation was also remarkable: the solar park, which is unique in its dimension, was completed in record time by general entrepreneur Suntechnics Solartechnik GmbH. Over 70 craftsmen mastered this task in just 12 weeks of construction. The environmental policy contribution was also remarkable - the operation of the solar park should avoid around 71,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the following 20 years.
Symbolic conversion
The conversion of the former ammunition depot into a system for the production of renewable energy is also a strong symbolic meaning. Mayor Hans Pollinger summed it up by emphasizing that active climate protection began on his own doorstep. Instead of storing tons of cartridges as before, the site of the former depot now offers space for solar modules that help to secure our children a future worth living.
More solar parks on former ammunition depots in Bavaria
Citizens solar park Uttenreuth
Another remarkable project is the solar park on the site of a former US ammunition depot in Uttenreuth. Under the leadership of the green electricity provider Naturstrom AG, a solar park with a total output of around 7,200 MWP has been built here since 2014. Three citizens' energy cooperatives that stand for over 400 citizens who are owners of parts of the facility are involved in this project.
The peculiarity of this project lies in the complex history of the location: Since the site probably also served as a depot for ABC weapons, the area had to be cleaned by contaminated sites. The shook of clean earth caused an ecological upgrade of the site and created a local retreat for flora and fauna. In addition, the area as a former area of the US military was initially free of municipalities, which is why the project had to be incorporated.
Energy storage Fuchstal
Solar systems were also installed in the former ammunition depot near Leeder in the Fuchstal. After initial skepticism, the municipal council in 2011 approved the establishment of an open-air photovoltaic system and the installation of solar systems on the roofs of several bunkers. The change of opinion was justified with the nuclear disaster in Fukushima and the planned nuclear phase -out in Germany.
Current developments: Solarpark Schornhof
The trend towards ever larger solar parks continues in Bavaria. In the municipality of Berg im Gau in the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, the largest solar park in southern Germany, according to the “Anumar” company, was put into operation with a power plant output of 120 MWP. On an area of around 150 hectares, this park produces around 110 gigawatt hours of green electricity every year.
Economic and ecological importance
The conversion of former ammunition depots into solar parks offers several advantages: it uses already sealed or pre -loaded areas and thus avoids the consumption of agricultural areas. At the same time, military contaminated sites are removed and the areas are ecologically upgraded.
From an economic point of view, such projects not only create jobs during the construction phase, but also offer long -term investment opportunities for citizens and companies. Voltwerk AG, for example, financed the Hemau solar park via a participation concept with a forecast distribution of 260 percent over 20 years.
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Current relief for solar parks in Bavaria
In order to further promote the expansion of solar energy, the Bavarian state government has simplified the regulations for compensation areas when building solar parks at the turn of 2025. In the future, projectors will generally no longer have to plan and invest compensation areas if certain requirements are met. This should accelerate the construction of the systems and reduce the project costs.
Future from conversion areas: Bayern's contribution to climate security
The conversion of former ammunition depots to solar parks in Bavaria shows the change from military to civilian, sustainable use. The world's largest solar park in Hemau was a pioneer of this development and found many imitators as a lighthouse project. The examples from Uttenreuth, Fuchstal and Berg in the Gau show that this path is successfully continued.
With the increasing importance of renewable energies and the current relief in approval procedures, it can be expected that further former military areas will be used for the energy transition. These projects make an important contribution to climate protection and energy safety and demonstrate how power plants of the future can arise from conversion areas.
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