Germany’s Only Tinplate Maker to Add On-Site Solar Under 20-Year PPA

Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein, the sole producer of white tinplate in Germany, has agreed to build an 8 MW solar facility at its Andernach plant under a long-term power purchase agreement, with generation scheduled to begin in mid-2027.

The installation will cover 5.2 hectares of the existing industrial site — roughly seven football pitches — and is projected to yield around 8 GWh of electricity annually. Crucially, all power generated will be consumed directly by plant operations rather than exported to the public grid, giving the steelmaker a stable, captive renewable supply.

VSB Integrated Energy Solutions GmbH will finance, design, build and operate the array under the PPA structure, while Thyssenkrupp Rasselstein contributes the land and commits to buying the full output for the first two decades. Construction of the 12,000-panel array is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the supporting structures fabricated from bluemint low-carbon steel produced by Thyssenkrupp Steel and finished with ZM EcoProtect Solar coating.

The deal fits into a broader decarbonisation strategy at parent company Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, which already meets more than 20 percent of its total electricity demand through PPA contracts. The project illustrates how long-running purchase agreements can unlock renewable capacity at active heavy-industry sites without requiring grid infrastructure upgrades or merchant price exposure.

Source: GMK Center