ÖBB brings its largest railway solar plant online

Austria’s rail operator ÖBB has put its largest photovoltaic plant for railway power into operation in Enns, Upper Austria, ORF reports. The plant is expected to generate nearly 24 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, equivalent to the power needed for about 8,000 Railjet journeys between Vienna and Linz.

The 20-hectare plant has 37,764 solar modules. A two-kilometre cable carries the electricity to the ÖBB substation in Asten, connecting it directly to the railway power network.

Part of the plant is in a flood zone. The modules are anchored without large concrete foundations, while technical stations stand on piles to protect them during floods. The structure can be fully dismantled, and biodiversity measures include meadows and an amphibian habitat.

ÖBB is expanding its own electricity generation from solar and wind power alongside hydropower. The Enns plant adds to its existing portfolio of photovoltaic facilities.