Ninetynine Seconds

In the north German town of Strübbel we have reached an important milestone with the battery units delivered to the site. The Elementa battery containers are a crucial part of this 50 Megawatt and 100 Megawatt-hours project ensuring reliable energy storage and high system stability.  

Paul Schacht, Project Manager for BESS, is introducing the standalone battery energy storage system “Strübbel” in Northern Germany. Designed to optimise energy efficiency and stabilise the grid, the Strübbel facility will store clean energy and support up to 120,000 households during peak demand.

Annika Wagner and Stefan Rothschuh, Project Developers for greenfield solar pv in Germany, are explaining the various steps that are needed for a solar park development. From land scouting and liaising with landowners and local municipalities, rendering the environmental studies and obtaining the required building permits, securing the grid connection, performing the technical planning of the project and organising the EPC until construction.

Melanie Schaub, Team Head of Digital Integration & Intelligence at Aquila Capital, is introducing the data management of our clean energy assets. From first asset screening, through transaction phase and up to the long-term management of our assets and funds, Melanie and her team ensure monitoring of progress and performance, enabling to manage assets with a solid data basis.

"The Rock" windfarm in Northern Norway is our largest and most complex construction project to date. The 400 MW windfarm is expected to produce 1,300 GWh of energy which will be used by a local aluminium smelter.

Sustainably managed commercial forests can play a vital role in combatting climate change while serving as a low-risk, long-term asset class for institutional investors. Edward Daniels, Team Head Forestry at Aquila Capital, explains the company’s timber and carbon strategy.

Large-scale battery storage systems are an important component for the realisation of the energy transition, as they can balance the fluctuating production of renewable energies and thus support the switch to clean energy. Kilian Leykam, Investment Manager Battery Storage at Aquila Capital, explains the relevance of energy storage for the expansion of renewable energies and gives a tour of our construction site in Ruien, Belgium, where we are building a large-scale battery storage system.

Our Senior Development Manager Sara Ribeiro is introducing us to Rainha Green Logistics Park in Portugal. The warehouse is located in Azambuja, a known logistics hub around 40km north of Lisbon and designed in compliance with sustainable and energy-efficient building standards aimed at achieving BREEAM certification and net-zero emissions.

Andrea Menechini, Senior Development Manager at Aquila Capital, introduces the first warehouse of our project Tortona Green Logistics Park in Northern Italy. Aquila Capital‘s first logistics project in Italy convinces with the implementation of sustainable and energy efficient measures throughout the whole construction.

In the Tabernas desert, in the South of Spain, we have realised the solar PV plant “La Cabrita”. Ignacio Ríos, Project Construction Manager at Aquila Capital, is introducing the large solar PV park and its characteristics. La Cabrita, which was built minimising the environmental impact, spans over a total area of 120 hectares and has an installed capacity of around 50MW.

María José Esparraga, Construction Manager and Julia García, Project Manager at Aquila Capital, show the current construction development of Illescas Green Logistics Park’s first warehouse, which is estimated to be completed in Q1 2022.  

Illescas Green Logistics Park is our first logistic project in Spain and comprises six plots of land with a total area of 472,879 sqm, to develop logistic projects by implementing sustainable, energy-efficient building practices with photovoltaic panels installed on the entire rooftop and will feature carbon offsetting measures.

Under its subsidiary brand AQ Ampere, Aquila Capital develops solar PV parks in Germany. David Mayer, Nader Mottahedin and Jane Coenen-Blunck explain the team's holistic approach. AQ Ampere manages solar PV projects from land acquisition through development and construction to the ongoing management of the plants.

Johannes Wurr, Asset Manager Energy & Infrastructure at Aquila Capital, explains about the logistical challenges of a wind farm construction in high terrain. Johannes is on one of our construction sites in Norway where he is in charge of overviewing the installation of wind energy turbines. Due to the hilly terrain and the extraordinary size of this wind farm, the logistics related to transportation and installation of main turbine components define a critical phase for the whole project.

Find out why energy efficiency should be considered as “first fuel”. Robert Hundeshagen, Investment Manager at Aquila Capital, explains why energy efficiency investments play a vital role in the energy transition and truly deliver an impact from a return perspective as well as by addressing key UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Aquila Capital invests in sustainable data centres. Carl von Hessen, Head of Data Centre Investments, provides insights into the investment opportunity. He explains the criteria we consider when building our data centres and why Norway is a perfect location for the asset class.

Find out more about how hydro power plants work both technically and economically. Christian Heidfeld, Aquila Capital’s Head of Asset Management Hydropower, explains how our Alforfa hydro power plant utilises a special cascade system. Our local Chief Operations Officer Francisco Machado provides further insights into how the plant looks like from the inside and how he ensures efficient operation at all times.

Melanie Schaub, Asset Manager Wind, explains the key criteria she takes into account when visiting Aquila Capital’s wind farms in the middle of Denmark for an annual inspection. Aquila Capital’s dedicated asset management team closely inspects the turbines and the local conditions of its wind farms on a regular basis in order to ensure a stable and long-term performance of the asset for the investors.

Several contractors are involved in the technical takeover of a completed wind farm. As asset manager, Aquila Capital coordinates the entire cooperation between all parties involved. Melanie Schaub explains how a punctual and smooth takeover of a wind farm can be ensured.

Joakim Johnsen, Head of Merchant Market Desk at Aquila Capital, explains about the use of PPAs for renewable energy. He is observing a significant growth of PPAs in the European markets largely due to decreasing costs of renewable energy generation, phasing out of feed-in-tariffs as well as growing corporate demand for green energy. 

Wild bees are central to our ecosystem and biodiversity. But they are threatened species and urgently need protection. Earlier this year, Aquila Capital started a project to colonise wild bees on its solar park land, because the habitat of wild platns and protective structures can help the bees thrive. Together with the University of Oldenburg, we are exploring the possibilities of a wild flower planting programme and providing additional nesting opportunities.

Hydropower is one of the most significant renewable energy sources in the world. Norway is the largest hydropower producer in Europe and meets its own electricity requirements almost entirely with hydropower.