Power production doubled after repowering project – RWE puts Elisenhof wind farm into operation

More power for the Elisenhof wind farm in the district of Paderborn: RWE’s successfully completed repowering project demonstrates the potential of modernising older wind farms. Only two instead of nine wind turbines are now in operation at the Elisenhof site, while electricity production has doubled. By using more powerful turbines, RWE is increasing the total output of the wind farm from 6.75 to 11.4 megawatts. The new turbines at the wind farm in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia generate enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of 5,500 households.

Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “This project is a good example of how the energy transition can succeed. We were able to build on public acceptance and are now producing more than twice as much green electricity. Thanks to the RWE climate bonus, the local communities also benefit from this repowering project. For every kilowatt hour produced, we voluntarily pay 0.2 cents to the neighbouring communities. That’s an additional income of around €40,000 per year.”

Elisenhof is also a showcase project in terms of recycling. The main components of the dismantled wind farm are being given a second lease of life in Spain. The RWE team has overhauled the rotor blades, nacelles, hubs and switching cabinets of the old turbines in the company’s own workshop and is now using them in its Spanish fleet. The company is thus extending the service life of its Spanish wind farms by 10 to 15 years.

Turning old into new

RWE is currently implementing another repowering project in the Emsland region. The company is replacing the old 1.8-megawatt turbine with a turbine with an output of 5.7 megawatts at its Lengerich site. The larger rotor blades can capture significantly more wind, increasing electricity production by around 400 percent. While up to now around 1,000 homes were supplied with climate-neutral electricity, the new wind turbine produces green electricity for around 4,000 households. The plant is scheduled to go into operation this winter. In addition, RWE will repower two further wind farms in Lower Saxony. In total, the company is replacing 17 wind turbines in Lesse and Barbecke, in Salzgitter and in the district of Peine, with a total output of 30.6 megawatts with eleven turbines boasting a total capacity of 61.8 megawatts.

RWE currently operates around 90 wind farms in Germany and counting. In order to massively expand its green portfolio, the company will invest around €11 billion net in Germany in the next seven years.