LEAG's First GigawattFactory Becomes Reality: Construction Starts on Germany's Largest Battery Storage Project
Cottbus – Energy company LEAG has commissioned the Forst-Briesnig 2 wind farm and the first construction phase of the Bohrau Energy Park and started construction of the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000. With its GigawattFactory, the company is advancing the transformation of the former Lusatia lignite region into an integrated energy hub. For the first time, it is combining wind power, photovoltaics and battery storage at gigawatt scale in a single system of generation, storage and dispatchable capacity.
17 Wind Turbines Near Forst, 230,000 PV Modules in Bohrau: LEAG Connects First Generation Assets to the Grid
On reclaimed post-mining land of the Jänschwalde opencast mine near the town of Forst in the Spree-Neisse district, LEAG Renewables GmbH has commissioned the Forst-Briesnig 2 wind farm, comprising 17 wind turbines with a total capacity of 105 MW. Around two kilometres from the wind farm, the first construction phase of the Bohrau Energy Park, with a capacity of more than 130 MWp, has also been connected to the grid. The project, consisting of around 230,000 photovoltaic modules on an area of approximately 130 hectares, is expected to generate around 130 GWh of electricity per year, according to LEAG. Five kilometres to the north, at the Jänschwalde power plant site, construction of the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 began in parallel with the commissionings. According to LEAG, it is currently the largest battery storage project in Germany.
GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000: 1,000 MW and 4,000 MWh from 2028
The large-scale storage facility is set to have a power output of 1,000 MW and a capacity of 4,000 MWh, with commissioning scheduled for 2028. The plant would thus significantly exceed Germany's currently largest operational battery storage systems, according to the IWR analysis: the most powerful operational storage system recorded there (RWE Generation SE, Hamm) has an output of 140 MW, while the one with the largest capacity (Battery Park Metelen) has 231 MWh.
The project also marks a step change within LEAG's own portfolio. The company has operated a 66 MW / 52.6 MWh storage facility in Spremberg since 2020 – the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 will therefore have around 15 times its output.
"The next phase of the energy transition is a system task – large volumes of weather-dependent power generation must be networked with storage, grids, flexible consumers and dispatchable power plants. With the GigawattFactory, we are demonstrating this system at gigawatt scale for the first time," said Adi Roesch, CEO of LEAG.
More Than EUR 1 Billion Invested: LEAG Creates Prospects for Skilled Workers in Lusatia
According to the company, more than EUR 1 billion has been invested in the various GigawattFactory projects to date. The wind and solar farms will also provide the host municipalities with annual municipal participation payments of around EUR 1.2 million. For further expansion, the company points to the experience of more than 200 engineers, technicians and skilled workers in the region, as well as extensive former mining land with existing grid connections.
"In the heart of Lusatia, a model for the German energy transition is emerging with our GigawattFactory," said Dominique Guillou, CEO of LEAG Renewables.
Brandenburg Minister-President Woidke: Lusatia to Remain an Energy Region After Coal Exit
The commissioning of the wind and solar farms and the groundbreaking for the four-hour large-scale storage facility took place in the presence of Brandenburg Minister-President Dr. Dietmar Woidke, as well as representatives from politics, local authorities and business.
"The GigawattFactory shows how an energy region of the past can become a pioneer of the future. Our energy supply is becoming more decentralised, cleaner, more independent, more secure and therefore also more affordable," said Woidke.
Expansion of the GigawattFactory is already continuing. LEAG Renewables has submitted a building permit application for up to 120 MW for a second construction phase of the Bohrau Energy Park. According to the energy company, further wind projects are planned in areas including the surroundings of Lake Cottbuser Ostsee and the Jänschwalde post-mining landscape.
Source: IWR Online, Sep 09 2026