190 Floating Solar Plant Unveiled on Mortkasee Artificial Lake

Over 190 floating solar modules now sit atop Mortkasee, an artificial lake in Lohsa, Saxony. This innovative project, a collaboration between RWE, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), and Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), explores how floating solar systems can coexist with aquatic ecosystems. Supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, it aims to advance sustainable energy solutions. Three floating solar islands, each with a capacity of around 30 kilowatts, have been installed on Mortkasee. While modest in size, they offer valuable insights into optimizing technology, reducing costs, and ensuring future large-scale floating solar projects can coexist with the environment. The research installation will remain operational until the end of 2027.

The plant was officially inaugurated today, with representatives from science, industry, and politics in attendance, including members of the Saxon Ministry of Energy, Climate Protection, Environment, and Agriculture, as well as Lohsa’s mayor, Thomas Leberecht. Local citizens also had the chance to learn about the “PV2Float” research project and the potential of floating solar technology. Thomas Leberecht, mayor of the Lohsa municipality, said, “Originally created by flooding the Werminghoff opencast lignite mine, the Mortkasee artificial lake has become one of the first research sites for floating solar islands in Germany. This technology promises a higher power yield, since the cold water can have a positive impact on the efficiency of the solar modules. Another advantage is that previously unused mine lakes, which are not intended to be used for recreation, can be developed for green electricity generation. That offers major potential for the energy transition in Germany and here in our region.”