Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is developing a large-scale solar power facility at its tinplate plant in Andernach, Germany, as part of efforts to increase the use of renewable electricity and reduce the carbon footprint of its operations.
The photovoltaic project will be developed in cooperation with VSB Integrated Energy Solutions under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). VSB will finance, construct and operate the facility, while Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein will purchase all electricity generated for an initial period of 20 years.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with completion targeted for mid-2027. The facility will comprise around 12,000 solar modules across 5.2 hectares, with a peak capacity of 8 MW and expected annual electricity generation of around 8 GWh.
The supporting steel structures will use Thyssenkrupp Steel’s CO2-reduced bluemint steel with its ZM EcoProtect Solar coating developed for ground-mounted photovoltaic installations.
The project forms part of Thyssenkrupp Steel’s wider decarbonization strategy. The company said its Steel Europe business already sources more than 20pct of its electricity through power purchase agreements.
Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein is Germany’s sole tinplate producer and operates its Andernach facility with annual production capacity of up to 1.5 mln tons of packaging steel.