VW Replaces Lawnmowers with 100 Sheep at Polish Factory

Volkswagen has replaced lawnmowers with a flock of 100 sheep at its Poznań plant in Poland to maintain vegetation beneath thousands of solar panels.

The unusual workforce is part of a project studying biodiversity, soils, and animal welfare, while also reducing machinery use.

The 18.3 MW photovoltaic installation can supply the factory’s entire electricity demand on sunny days and covers around a quarter of its annual power consumption.

The sheep are owned by a local farmer and are expected to graze until autumn, providing a natural and environmentally friendly solution to vegetation management.

The project is a collaboration with researchers from Poznań University of Life Sciences, examining the effects of sheep grazing on biodiversity, soil quality, and the local microclimate.

This approach, known as agrivoltaics, combines farming and solar generation, making renewable energy projects more useful and reducing maintenance costs.

Volkswagen’s Poznań plant is a significant employer in the region, producing 150,000 Caddy and 25,000 Transporter models last year, as well as 4 million automotive components.