Vattenfall Inaugurates Wind and Solar Hybrid Park in Rhineland-Palatinate's Southern Eifel, Germany

State minister Michael Ebling attended the 30 October 2026 inauguration of Hommerdingen-Biesdorf, the Swedish energy company's first combined wind-solar installation on German soil.

A Showcase Project for the Energy Transition, Says Ebling

Rhineland-Palatinate's minister for economic affairs, tourism, energy and climate, Michael Ebling, described the newly opened Hommerdingen-Biesdorf plant as a showcase project for an intelligent, efficient and economical energy transition. Speaking at the opening ceremony in the Southern Eifel, he argued that the development demonstrates wind and solar energy do not have to compete for scarce grid capacity but can instead complement each other sensibly.

In his remarks, Ebling stressed that what matters is not only generating more renewable electricity but also integrating it as efficiently as possible into the power grids. For innovative solutions of this kind to catch on, he said, reliable framework conditions, fast permitting procedures and intelligent grid connection concepts are required.

He added that the project shows how entrepreneurial courage, technological innovation and municipal engagement can work together, noting that the energy transition takes place locally and that people and municipalities should benefit from it through regional value creation. The minister expressed hope that the plant would find many imitators across Rhineland-Palatinate.

Two Plants, One Connection to the Westnetz Grid

At the heart of the hybrid concept is a shared grid connection. Vattenfall links both the wind park and the solar park to the distribution network of regional operator Westnetz through a single connection point, established via the wind park. The solar park is technically treated like an additional wind turbine, meaning only one grid connection is needed for the entire installation.

Westnetz agreed to this approach, which Vattenfall describes as an innovative concept. The company explains that the complementary generation profiles of wind and solar make more efficient use of the distribution grid than either technology could on its own.

This results in better utilization of existing grid infrastructure and reduces the risk of grid overload. According to Vattenfall, grid connection costs also fall significantly compared with stand-alone installations. Because wind and sun complement each other over the course of both the year and the day, the company says the arrangement makes electricity generation more even, raises security of supply and stabilizes the power grid. These countercyclical yield curves produce a smoother overall generation profile.

Capacity Details and Site Layout

The Hommerdingen-Biesdorf facility pairs four wind turbines with a combined nominal output of 17 megawatts and more than 12,000 solar modules rated at 7.6 megawatts peak. The wind park sits in the municipality of Hommerdingen, while the solar park is located in neighboring Biesdorf. Both municipalities belong to the Verbandsgemeinde Südeifel, not far from the Luxembourg border.

Vattenfall presents the project as a contribution to a fossil-free energy supply and as a template for modern, cost-efficient and grid-supportive generation. The company describes the park as a model for cost-efficient, grid-friendly power generation from sun and wind.

Know-How from Abroad Informs the German Debut

Although this is Vattenfall's first hybrid park in Germany, the underlying concept has been in operation for several years in the Netherlands and Great Britain, according to the company. Catrin Jung, Senior Vice President and head of Vattenfall's Wind business area, said the company was pleased to have realized its first hybrid project in Germany, particularly because it could draw on know-how from earlier projects.

She said Hommerdingen-Biesdorf shows how the energy transition can succeed: through the intelligent combination of wind energy and photovoltaics, the efficient use of existing infrastructure and close cooperation among many partners in the region. Jung added that Vattenfall intends to continue this success story and plans to add storage to its renewable generation in the future, in order to make the renewable system more flexible and robust.

Hybrid Parks Beyond Wind and Solar

Vattenfall applies the term hybrid parks not only to combinations of renewable generation assets such as wind and solar, but also to pairings of generation and battery storage. In the Netherlands, the company operates a so-called full hybrid power plant called Haringvliet, which supplements wind and solar generation with an additional battery storage system. In Germany, the company also plans to add battery storage to solar parks, depending on local conditions at each site.