An investment in the future and a contribution to climate protection: SMA invited numerous guests to celebrate the start of construction of the SMA GIGAWATT FACTORY.
“It's examples like this, brave decisions like yours that Germany needs! It’s great that you’re taking the lead. Stay brave and stay true to your vision.” In his video welcoming address, Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, emphasized the importance of projects like the GIGAWATT FACTORY to the future of industry in Germany. From 2025, innovative system solutions for large-scale PV power plants are to be shipped from Niestetal all across the world. Thanks to this new factory, which also sets new standards when it comes to sustainability, SMA is doubling its production capacity from 20 to 40 gigawatts.
“Who would have thought, even just a few years ago, that we would double our production capacity and create more than 200 jobs in the region?” said Jürgen Reinert, CEO of SMA, in his welcoming speech. “Against the background of global climate change, the entire world is pinning its hopes on renewable energy. But to leverage this enormous potential, photovoltaics has to be intelligently coupled with storage systems, e-mobility and other sectors and integrated in the overall system. This is why we will be producing system solutions for large-scale PV power plants in two years’ time here in Niestetal and shipping them out across the world. In this way, we will be making a vital contribution right here in this region to a future-proof energy supply.”
One hundred guests attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the SMA GIGAWATT FACTORY on the Sandershäuserberg in Niestal in Niestetal in north Hesse. In addition to Robert Habeck, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, other representatives from the world of politics wished us every success in our project. To turn this €80 million investment project into a reality, SMA joined forces with the two Hamburg-based real estate companies, property team AG and GARBE Industrial Real Estate GmbH, who, in their capacities as developers and investors, are responsible for ensuring the turnkey and on-schedule completion of the factory. BREMER AG from Paderborn will construct the new factory in a resource-conserving manner in time for its scheduled opening 2025.
“As a matter of course, we implement our projects in accordance with the latest ecological standards and ESG criteria. That’s all part of our corporate strategy,” said Jan Dietrich Hempel, general manager of GARBE Industrial Real Estate GmbH. “We also placed great emphasis on sustainability in the new building for SMA. The building will be equipped with a PV system, constructed in accordance with the eco- and climate-friendly energy efficiency standard KfW 40 EE and certified to the DGNB’s gold standard. This investment in the new production site also supports solar energy, a key pillar of the energy supply of the future.”
“Our aim in all our construction projects is to use natural resources sparingly and minimize the building’s carbon footprint across the entire life cycle. The new SMA production site combines sustainable construction methods with high operational efficiency. This is also evident in the recognized Gold certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DNGB e.V.),” said Michael Dufhues, who sits on the Managing Board of BREMER AG.
The SMA GIGAWATT FACTORY in figures:
Site area: approx. 46,000 qm
Production area: approx. 16,250 qm
Total usable area of hall: approx. 20,500 qm
Office space: approx. 2,150 qm
Common and canteen area: approx. 1,450 qm
Parking spaces: approx. 112
Bicycle stands: approx. 300
Building standard: DGNB Gold, KfW 40 EE
About SMA
As a leading global specialist in photovoltaic and storage system technology, the SMA Group is setting the standards today for the decentralized and renewable energy supply of tomorrow. SMA’s portfolio contains a wide range of efficient PV and battery inverters, holistic system solutions for PV and battery-storage systems of all power classes, intelligent energy management systems and charging solutions for electric vehicles and power-to-gas applications. Digital energy services as well as extensive services up to and including operation and maintenance services for PV power plants round off SMA’s range. SMA inverters with a total output of more than 120 gigawatts have been installed in more than 190 countries worldwide. Around 63 million tons of CO2e have been avoided thanks to the PV inverter power sold by SMA over the past 20 years. This is equivalent to stopping more than €12 billion of environmental damage. SMA’s multi-award-winning technology is protected by more than 1,700 patents and utility models. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and is listed in the TecDAX index and SDAX index.
About property team AG:
property team AG has been operating as a project development company for commercial real estate projects in the German market since 2002. The company possesses extensive expertise in the acquisition, planning, implementation and marketing of commercial real estate and thus is at home both in the world of technical and commercial project management and in dealing with institutional and private project partners. The owner-managed joint-stock company based in Hamburg consists of an experienced team of financially and technically specialized employees. An extensive industry network and a wide range of knowledge enable us to successfully realize large-volume real estate projects for the logistics, light industrial, office and hotel usage types .
About GARBE Industrial Real Estate GmbH:
GARBE Industrial Real Estate GmbH, which is headquartered in Hamburg, is one of the leading providers and managers for logistics, corporate and technology real estate in Germany. For more than 30 years, the company has been one of the most important independent partners for transport and logistics service providers, trade and manufacturing. GARBE develops, buys/sells, acquires, leases, manages and finances high-quality commercial real estate at attractive national and international transport and industrial locations. With around 5.7 million square meters of rental space and a project development pipeline of around 2.6 million square meters in Germany and Europe, GARBE currently manages real estate and fund assets worth around €10.2 billion (as at December 31, 2022).
About BREMER AG:
BREMER is one of Germany's foremost providers of turnkey construction services in the industrial and commercial property segment. With sites in Stuttgart, Leipzig, Ingolstadt, Hamburg, Bochum, Berlin-Brandenburg, Bremen, Karlsruhe, Hanover, and Erfurt as well as in Kraków and Poznan (Poland), the family company – founded in 1947 – is active all across Europe. Planning and manufacture take place in its own plants at its headquarters in Paderborn and also in Leipzig. As a holistic provider for the real estate and construction industry, BREMER supports its customers from project development and production through to the turnkey handover stage. It also offers a range of building services during ongoing operation. Our business activities span the following types of building: office buildings, furniture stores, cold storage facilities, logistics buildings, production facilities and retail. BREMER works and builds in a resource-conserving manner by bringing together site, building, technology and use at an early stage. The value and supply chains are permanently optimized in collaboration with customers. The total operating revenue in 2022 was €1,200 million, and the volume of precast elements was 137,000 cbm. Every day, 1,300 employees dedicate themselves to ensuring the success of our customers. The management team of BREMER AG comprises Wilhelm Bremer (owner), Michael Dufhues, Dr. Matthias Molter and Torsten Schuff (members of the Managing Board).
SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
34266 Niestetal
Germany
Head of Corporate Communications:
Anja Jasper
Tel. +49 561 9522-2805
Presse@SMA.de
Press Contact:
Dagmar Buth-Parvaresh
Tel. +49 561 9522-421414
Presse@SMA.de
Disclaimer:
This press release serves only as information and does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for, acquire, hold or sell any securities of SMA Solar Technology AG (the “Company”) or any present or future subsidiary of the Company (together with the Company, the “SMA Group”) nor should it form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract to purchase or subscribe for any securities in the Company or any member of the SMA Group or commitment whatsoever. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
This press release can contain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements are statements which do not describe facts of the past. They also include statements about our assumptions and expectations. These statements are based on plans, estimations and forecasts which the Managing Board of SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA or company) has available at this time. Future-oriented statements are therefore only valid on the day on which they are made. Future-oriented statements by nature contain risks and elements of uncertainty. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors can lead to considerable differences between the actual results, the financial position, the development or the performance of the corporation and the estimates given here. These factors include those which SMA has discussed in published reports. These reports are available on the SMA website at www.SMA.de. The company accepts no obligation whatsoever to update these future-oriented statements or to adjust them to future events or developments.