AMAG Austria Metall : expands rooftop-PV plant and strengthens commitment to decarbonisation at the Ranshofen site

AMAG expands rooftop-PV plant and strengthens commitment to decarbonisation at the Ranshofen site

Existing rooftop-PV plant to be doubled to around 120,000 square metres in partnership with Energie AG; annual energy production of 13.3 GWh for AMAG's own requirements.

AMAG Austria Metall AG is taking further steps towards the decarbonisation of its site in Ranshofen and is thus reducing its dependence on natural gas through the increased use of green electricity. In partnership with Energie AG, the existing rooftop photovoltaic plant is being doubled in size. Once the work has been completed, this will be the largest rooftop photovoltaic plant in Austria. Construction work starts in June 2024 and commissioning will take place by the end of the year.

For the planned expansion, photovoltaic plant modules will be installed on six halls at the AMAG plant site, with 63,000 square metres of gross roof area, to supplement the existing system, which covers an area of area of 60,000 square metres. The total area of 120,000 square metres will be used to generate electricity and is similar in size to around 17 football pitches. This measure will enable annual energy production to be almost doubled from 7.3 GWh to 13.3 GWh. GWh, whereas the current annual demand is around 250 GWh. This additional amount of energy is comparable to the energy consumption of around 3,700 households per year.

The electricity generated is used exclusively for AMAG's own requirements and supplements the electricity mix, which has been 100 % renewable since 2017. With the expansion of the rooftop photovoltaic plant, AMAG is taking a further step on its path to CO₂ neutrality, which is accompanied by ongoing technological improvements and innovations to increase energy efficiency.

"As part of our efforts to decarbonise and move away from fossil fuels, green electricity from various sources will play a key role. Therefore, the expansion of our existing rooftop photovoltaic plant is another important step that we are taking together with Energie AG," says Helmut Kaufmann, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Technical Officer of AMAG Austria Metall AG.

"Solar energy is already playing a key role in sustainable and regional energy generation. With the doubling of the existing rooftop photovoltaic plant in Ranshofen, we are continuing our expansion offensive for solar power together with AMAG, thus making an active contribution to a fossil-free energy future," says Leonhard Schitter, CEO of Energie AG.

About Energie AG
Energie AG is the driving force behind a sustainable energy future and, as the largest energy supplier in Upper Austria, is doing everything to decarbonise the cycle of generation, distribution and utilisation - in other words, to sustainably reduce the CO₂ emissions of the entire company. The aim is to achieve climate neutrality and independence by 2035, while guaranteeing security of supply and disposal. By 2035, a total of 1.2 terawatt hours per year are to come from renewable energy sources such as water, wind and sun. This corresponds to the average electricity consumption of around 330,000 households and therefore more than 700,000 people. With the construction of the Ebensee pumped storage power plant, Energie AG is taking another important step towards climate neutrality and a sustainable energy future.