IN Brief:
- The hybrid PPA covers the ABS project in Saxony-Anhalt and Harnekop in Brandenburg.
- The two developments combine 181.9 MWp of solar capacity with 61 MW/244 MWh of battery storage.
- Following market-based commissioning and ramp-up in 2027, fixed-price offtake will cover much of the generation through 2037.
Sunovis and Statkraft have agreed a long-term hybrid power purchase agreement covering two solar and battery projects under construction in Germany. The ABS project in Saxony-Anhalt and the Harnekop development in Brandenburg together provide 181.9 MWp of planned photovoltaic capacity alongside battery storage rated at 61 MW/244 MWh.
The agreement combines electricity offtake with market optimisation, initially through revenue sharing during commissioning and the 2027 ramp-up period. Afterwards, a fixed-price arrangement will cover a substantial proportion of the projects' electricity generation volumes until the end of 2037, while Sunovis will continue to participate in market-based revenue sharing for the remaining volumes. The companies have not disclosed the agreed prices or precise split between the two commercial elements.
Both projects are being built without public subsidy programmes, according to the parties. Commissioning is expected to occur between late 2026 and October 2027, rather than at a single date for both sites. The announcement describes the commercial arrangement for developments already under construction; it does not constitute an announcement that either installation has started regular generation.
The photovoltaic capacity is expressed in megawatts peak, identifying the nominal module rating under standard test conditions. Actual electricity output varies with sunlight, panel temperature and electrical conversion limits. The battery rating describes a separate capability: 61 MW is the combined nominal charging or discharging power, while 244 MWh is the planned energy capacity across the storage equipment.
Those battery figures imply a nominal four-hour discharge duration at full rated power, before accounting for available state of charge and system losses. The duration does not establish that the storage can deliver its maximum output continuously or that it will charge only from the associated photovoltaic arrays. The actual operating configuration, connection permissions and charging arrangements have not been detailed.
Solar generation and storage create different electricity market exposures. Solar arrays produce power when irradiance permits, which may coincide with periods of lower wholesale prices if many installations are generating. A battery can instead retain electricity for later discharge, but doing so involves conversion losses, capacity limits and the opportunity cost of charging energy. Market optimisation must weigh those constraints against available prices and contractual obligations.
The hybrid commercial arrangement addresses part of this variability without removing it altogether. During initial commissioning and ramp-up in 2027, Statkraft will market project output through a wholly market-based model with profit sharing. Following that period, the fixed-price element is intended to give Sunovis more predictable income for a large share of solar generation, while the uncontracted share remains exposed to market opportunities under the agreed profit-sharing structure.
Statkraft will be responsible for long-term power offtake and marketing optimisation. That role can involve forecasting output, arranging sales and managing contracted positions across the available electricity markets. The companies say the arrangement also seeks to optimise the value of associated storage, but they have not specified the dispatch controls, battery revenue allocation or individual capacity commitments. It would therefore be inaccurate to treat the entire 244 MWh as subject to a fixed-price energy purchase.
The physical projects must also satisfy their network constraints. Photovoltaic inverters convert direct current into alternating current, while bidirectional battery converters manage energy flowing in both directions. When technologies share a network interface, controls may have to prevent combined exports from exceeding connection limits. No detailed electrical architecture has been published for ABS or Harnekop, so a shared connection at either site cannot be assumed from the word hybrid alone.
Battery state of charge imposes further operating limits. A battery that has already discharged for several hours may not be able to meet a new instruction without recharging, even if electricity prices are attractive. Conversely, retaining too much energy can restrict its ability to absorb additional generation. Effective scheduling must account for weather forecasts, the state of the installation and obligations already entered into.
Long-term offtake contracts are one of several ways developers can manage revenue uncertainty during project financing and operation. A fixed-price commitment for some electricity volumes can reduce dependence on short-term market prices, but project economics still depend on generation, availability, balancing costs and performance against the contract. Neither Sunovis nor Statkraft has released enough information to estimate earnings from this agreement.
The announced arrangement is distinct from a conventional solar-only PPA because the developments include substantial four-hour battery capacity, yet the commercial structure does not make that battery capacity equivalent to dispatchable primary generation. Storage moves energy between periods and may provide other qualified services; it does not create additional electricity without an input source.
The next milestone is phased commissioning of ABS and Harnekop between the end of 2026 and October 2027. Statkraft's market-based arrangements will apply during that transition, before the planned fixed-price coverage takes effect for the bulk of the contracted solar generation and runs until December 2037.
