Generally

Heinsberg, 09.06.2022. Almost one year after the foundation of SUNfarming West GmbH in Heinsberg, a subsidiary of the SUNfarming Group with headquarters in Erkner near Berlin, the first 5.1 MW solar park on the site of the former gravel pit "Tagebau Wilhelm" of the Heinsberg families Quadflieg and Hensing could be connected to the grid. As a pioneer in the field of agri-voltaic systems, investor and operator of more than 350 megawatts of PV systems in its own portfolio, SUNfarming has installed innovative elements of its two product types "agri- and eco-photovoltaics" in this solar park for the first time in the Rhineland.

In this way, another subsequent use has been created on the backfilled former gravel pit, which from now on will make an important contribution to energy security in Heinsberg as well as to the reduction of climate-damaging greenhouse gases. The PV system generates regional green electricity that will supply more than 1,500 households. Sheep graze under the module tables, and a flowering meadow has been laid out on the surface to breed queen bees so that flora and fauna can develop undisturbed. In total, the plant saves about 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. In the future, part of the electricity will be used to balance the Alliander grid. In addition, the green electricity will be available to the people of Heinsberg as regional electricity from the local solar park. The electricity supplier lekker Energie will soon offer such a regional electricity product for electricity customers in Heinsberg.

"SUNfarming is a German medium-sized family business that develops, builds, operates and mostly finances all types of photovoltaic systems in 15 countries around the world, including classic ground-mounted, roof-mounted and landfill systems as an investor. However, our focus is on the dual use of extensively used agricultural land for our agri- and eco-PV as well as also gardening and orcharding concepts and for our animal welfare plants with suckler cow husbandry," explains Edith Brasche, member of the management board of SUNfarming West and director for international projects of SUNfarming. "In addition to climate protection and the generation of renewable energy, we are also particularly interested in ensuring agricultural use or the production of food under the facilities. Since 2014, the SUNfarming group has implemented Agri-PV concepts, also known as Food & Energy plants, in South Africa and other African countries, Turkey, Madagascar and the Dominican Republic. In Africa and Southern Europe, it has been shown that Agri-PV is able to protect plants and animals from climate-related, damaging weather conditions, such as we are unfortunately increasingly experiencing here in the Rhineland. We also want to contribute to keeping as much CO2 as possible in the soil through rewetting under the plants," says Edith Brasche.
Igor Hensing, a graduate mining engineer with many years of experience in the field of new technologies in biomass, renewable energies and green chemistry, is also a member of the management of SUNfarming West and is pleased that after almost ten years of development, the realisation of this project in Heinsberg has now succeeded: "On an area like the former Wilhelm open-cast mine, the realisation of such an innovative solar park with agricultural use and contribution to biodiversity is simply ideal. Due to the maximum fist height of 2.90 m, the plant fits in here on the site and ideally into the landscape. At the same time, almost no area was sealed," explains Igor Hensing. "Dual-use concepts such as agri- and eco-PV or solar on water could make a major contribution to achieving the internationally agreed climate targets without causing conflicts in land use. We urgently need to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies. The climate protection goals to which we as Europeans committed in Paris 2015 mean, for example, a quadrupling of solar energy production for NRW by 2030. We do not have much time! The approval procedures for renewable energies must be significantly simplified and accelerated," says Igor Hensing.
Reiner Priggen also welcomes the official start of the largest solar park of this kind in NRW, which contains agri and eco-PV elements: "According to the plans of the state government so far, the installed solar power capacity is to be almost quadrupled to 24,000 megawatts by 2030. That is why we need many such innovative dual-use projects like the one in Heinsberg as soon as possible," emphasised the Chairman of the NRW Renewable Energies Association (LEE NRW) at the inauguration ceremony.
On this occasion, Priggen called on the emerging new Düsseldorf state government of the CDU and the Greens to use photovoltaics to an "extent not yet known nationwide". "For this we need not only every private and commercial roof, but as many agri- and floating PV projects as possible, as well as open space installations on the verges of motorways and railway lines.

SUNfarming specialises primarily in large-scale systems, the occupation of conversion areas, landfill sites and with a particular focus on Agri-PV, Eco-PV and Moorland PV systems. Special quality features are the extremely durable and high-yielding glass-glass modules combined with a sophisticated irrigation system and a stable steel construction with which the modules are placed at different heights. SUNfarming has its own teams for technical development and quality control. SUNfarming's development and implementation know-how was also used, among other things, in the development and construction of the research and demonstration plant of the Jülich Research Centre and the Fraunhofer Institute as part of the BioeconomyREVIER structural change initiative at the Morschenich-Alt site near Jülich, which was completed a few months ago.

About SUNfarming:
SUNfarming was founded in 2004 by the North German entrepreneur and agricultural economist Peter Schrum and his partner Martin Tauschke in Erkner near Berlin. The family-run project developer and investor realises turnkey solar plants with a focus on agri- and eco-solar plants and is active in 15 countries around the world. As an investor, SUNfarming operates approx. 350 MW of solar power in its own portfolio and is currently working on a further 2.5 gigawatt project volume in Germany alone. SUNfarming had already developed its own quality seal for solar modules in 2007. In the company's own research and development centre in Rathenow near Berlin, SUNfarming has been researching and developing the cultivation of vegetables, medicinal herbs, fruit and wine as well as the keeping of chickens, sheep and suckler cows with calves under PV and the use of new PV technologies and agri-robots under the modules in cooperation with various universities since 2018. SUNfarming has already received several awards for its holistic commitment through the use of its "Food & Energy concepts" in combination with the production of food, the training of needy people in sustainable agriculture and the creation of jobs. SUNfarming is also a founding member of the Bundesverband Regenerative Mobilität e.V. and the non-profit development aid association Food, Education, Energy & Development e.V..

Contact:
SUNfarming West GmbH
At the Vossenweg 2
52525 Heinsberg
Germany
Edith Brasche
Mobile: +49 152 536 169 93
e.brasche@sunfarming.de
Igor Hensing
Mobile: +49 172 214 3827
i.hensing@sunfarming.de

We were able to meet many existing, but also new business partners.

We saw that with SUNfarming Öko- and Agri-Solar we can offer exactly the right answers to many questions and at the same time felt the tailwind of the entire solar industry.

We would like to thank all visitors to our stand during Intersolar 2022 in Munich.

Our conclusion: a very successful trade fair.
We will be happy to be there again next year!

In March 2022, SUNfarming AG realised the installation of the 13 kWp Agri-Solar system with battery storage system and back-up generator for the independent and reliable energy supply of an outpatient clinic in Gambia. In the small community of Suwareh Kunda on the North Bank of the West African coastal state, whose catchment area includes around 17,000 people, the urgently needed medical facility for adults and children is being built next to an existing primary school with the help of the Brandenburg-based non-profit organisation Alex e.V.. The donation amounting to the procurement value of the SUNfarming components was provided by the Daimler ProCent Foundation.

"Until now, proper medical care has only been provided in the capital city of Banjul, 70 km away, which can only be reached by a heavily used ferry ride of about 45 minutes across the Gambia River," reports Bernd Schorsch, Chairman of Alex e.V. "Only with the help of the generous donation from SUNfarming have we been able to sustainably realise and secure the operation of the infirmary after a project period of seven years in the meantime."

In the future, the new infirmary will have 7 beds for women and 7 beds for men as well as another 5 children's beds for medical care. Furthermore, a fully functional dental surgery with two treatment chairs and two incubators are to be operated, which require a high level of operational safety. "This safety can only be insufficiently guaranteed via the public power grid, which is reflected in power cuts lasting up to 2-3 minutes a day," explains the Gambian project partner and future operator of the hospital, who is called "Baba" by everyone and perfectly fulfils his fatherly role for the population in the region.
SUNfarming has already been working since 2014 in sustainable development aid projects for the supply of renewable energy in combination with the production of food and training in sustainable agriculture among the modules and has itself founded the non-profit association Food, Education, Energy & Development e.V. (FEED) in Germany and South Africa.

These are our topics:

SUNfarming Eco- and Agri-Solar systems with double added value for the energy turnaround:
SUNfarming continues to set the course and focus on biodiversity solar parks. With the two concepts "Eco-Solar" and "Agri-Solar" SUNfarming has set the course for project planning for solar parks on former agricultural land. With the dual-use concept for open space plants, SUNfarming can significantly expand the biodiversity of the land in addition to producing green electricity.

SUNfarming own power concept for municipalities and businesses:
0 % investment costs, on average at least 10 % electricity cost savings in the first 10 years (for municipal electricity), 100 % CO2 savings.

SUNfarming International:
Projects from Poland, Turkey and South Africa introduce themselves.

SUNfarming Food & Energy Projects:
Unique Food & Energy greenhouses developed by SUNfarming deliver jobs + food + energy where they are urgently needed.

SUNfarming Solar Training Centre in South Africa:
More than 3,500 trainees by 2022 in South Africa. Our commitment does not end with funding.

SUNfarming Home Solar:
Produce your own electricity on your roof.

We speak your language: German, English, Polish, Turkish and Spanish.

Your SUNfarming Team

What we have been able to do so far:
SUNfarming, together with many volunteers, including the Potsdam Pirschheide Canoe Club, supported a transport of aid to the Ukrainian border in Poland at the weekend. Clothing, food, baby clothes, hygiene articles, 250 first aid kits and other medicines were brought directly to the Ukrainian border for the refugees. A total of 25 cars, vans and trucks took part in this tour. On the way back, 18 Ukrainian refugees were taken to Potsdam and distributed to private accommodation on Sunday evening. Another transport is planned for the coming weekend, again bringing Ukrainian refugees to the Berlin region.

Another joint fundraising campaign by SUNfarming and our solar business partners from Fürstenwalde brought several organised trucks with donations as far as eastern Poland. From there, a former Ukrainian SUNfarming employee received the donations and distributed them in Ukraine.
The trucks were loaded with food donations (long-life milk, oatmeal, biscuits, canned food, nappies) and pharmacy donations (bandages, medicines). SUNfarming staff donated warm blankets, torches, tools and clothes, among other things.

A report by Benjamin Meise, solar business partner from Fürstenwalde and co-organiser.
The aid convoys from last week have returned safely.
Some of the donations from Fürstenwalde and from the municipalities of the Odervorland district were brought to the vicinity of Warsaw (Nowy Dwor mazowiecki) at the weekend and then from there directly to Mlyniv (Ukraine) today.
Our coach, which also travelled to Nowy Dwor together with the fire brigade vehicles of the Amt Odervorland, transported 28 Ukrainian women and children from the refugee collection centre in Warsaw, where more than 1,000 refugees were already waiting, to the ZABH Eisenhüttenstadt. From there they are distributed further.
At the Ukrainian border there are very long traffic jams with people who want to get to safety and therefore leave the country. Some of them have not been able to sleep for three nights. They are mainly women and children. Many people no longer make it to the border because the escape routes have been destroyed and they are surrounded in the cities.
From Fürstenwalde, an additional 6 fully loaded transporters drove out to Lublin. On the way back, after a short break, they took 14 women and children from different places in the border region to Germany. On the way, they encountered military convoys. Some of the petrol stations were sold out.
The drivers and second drivers were on the road for up to 24 hours and longer without a break, each covering more than 1,500 km. One team of drivers spent the night at the border at -2 degrees to wait for two women and three children with whom they had spontaneously arranged to meet via private messenger services. The family is from Kharkiv and was bombed out. They had been on the run since Thursday and were now overjoyed to be safe.

With these funds, the non-profit association in South Africa can include more kindergartens and schools in the urgently needed "school lunch" project and further expand its sustainable development aid regionally.
"We have seen what we can create with and for the local people," explains Edith Brasche from FEED. "Our goal is to go beyond self-sufficiency to create new jobs and income for local people in agriculture and vegetable and medicinal herb cultivation by offering them the opportunity to grow under the SUNfarming Food & Energy facilities free of charge after the trainings. When selling the surplus of vegetables and medicinal herbs, we support the former trainees so that they can build up a successful small business in the long run. The sponsoring of AURUBIS AG will bring us a big step forward and promote a sustainable support of the trainees over three years", says Edith Brasche.

In addition to local projects in the countries where it operates, Aurubis has also been involved at an international level since 2019. After projects in Peru and Chile, Aurubis has also been supporting the non-profit association F.E.E.D. in South Africa, more precisely in the Potchefstroom region, for the first time since 2021.
Stefanie Klein, Social Engagement Aurubis AG, explains why: "We are pleased to be able to support F.E.E.D., a project that combats malnutrition, provides training in sustainable, ecological food cultivation and promotes the use of resource-saving technologies. The important approach of helping people to help themselves is in the foreground here, because targeted knowledge transfer enables the people in the project to participate in society - and ultimately it contributes to the further development of an entire region. For these reasons, this holistic project is an excellent fit for us and our focus areas."

FEED has so far been able to distribute 7.57 million servings of "Vitality Porridge" to 24,000 school and kindergarten children and 100,000 family members as part of its cooperation with SUNfarming in DEG's COVID-19 Response Programme in 2021. More than 1,000 township residents, many of them women, were trained in sustainable agriculture in the agri trainings and new community or school gardens were planted every week, which are now used to feed the population and the children in the schools and kindergartens in the long term.
You can find out more about FEED at www.feed-ev.de.