Germany – RWE has decided to repower the Krusemark-Ellingen wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt, which was built between 1998 and 2004, and has installed the sixth and final new wind turbine.
The 15 existing Enercon systems will be replaced by 15 Nordex turbines, each with a 3.3 megawatt (MW) generation capacity, resulting in a significant increase in the wind farm’s overall generation capacity. The site now has a total installed capacity of 19.8 MW, up from “only” 15.7 MW before. This represents a roughly quarter increase. More than 13,000 households will be able to get electricity from the new systems, which are climate-neutral.
Extending locations lifecycle
RWE’s third repowering project in Germany is Krusemark-Ellingen. It is possible to extend the lifecycle of many locations by replacing older systems with a smaller number of much more powerful turbines. According to studies, simply installing new systems at existing sites in Germany could increase wind power generation to over 210 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2030. To put this in perspective, 210 TWh will account for roughly 37% of Germany’s total electricity consumption in 2020.
This project in Stendal’s rural district also breaks new ground in the crucial area of recycling. The majority of the Enercon turbines that have been decommissioned are being sold as complete sets, including the steel towers, to be re-used on other wind farms.
