Image credit: RWE

The sixth and final new wind turbine has been put in place at the Krusemark-Ellingen wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt, RWE’s third repowering project in Germany.

German energy company RWE made the decision to repower this wind farm which was initially constructed between 1998 and 2004.

The repowering process has resulted in 15 existing Enercon systems being replaced with six Nordex turbines, each with a generation capacity of 3.3MW.

The installed capacity has increased from 15.7MW to 19.8MW, achieved with fewer rotors.

Jens Edler-Krupp, responsible for developing RWE’s German onshore wind farms, commented on the Krusemark-Ellingen project in a stament: “For the first time we are dismantling existing turbines and simultaneously installing new systems.”

“As a result, it’s possible to keep the old systems running and generating electricity for as long as possible. In addition, the wind farm now consists of just six matching turbines instead of the original 15, which were not completely uniform.”

According to RWE, replacing older systems with a smaller number of much more powerful turbines increases the efficiency of the wind farm and extends the life cycle of many locations. Repowering is therefore an important strategy to support Germany in meeting its renewables targets.

This project will also encourage a circular economy, with most of the decommissioned Enercon turbines being sold as complete sets to be re-used on other wind farms. “…Part of the material from the old foundations is being put to use at the same location as a base course for the new access roads,” Edler-Krupp adds.

Katja Wünschel, CEO Wind Onshore and Solar Europe & Australia, RWE Renewables, commented in a statement: “Replacing older wind turbines with new, much more efficient ones is part of our growth offensive for renewable energy. If the energy transition is to be accelerated and Germany is to be almost completely supplied with green electricity exclusively as early as 2035, we all have to play our part. RWE intends to invest up to €15 billion gross in its green core business by 2030 for climate protection and security of supply.”