RWE is repowering a wind farm in Lasbek in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, replacing six old turbines with four new models.
After repowering the Lasbek array, which was just under 11MW, will have a capacity of 22.8MW.
Preparations have begun with the establishment of the construction site and the first road work, while the dismantling of two old turbines is also underway.
The commissioning of the upgraded wind farm is planned for the end of 2025.
RWE Renewables Europe & Australia chief executive Katja Wishesl said: “Fast approval, fast implementation.
“Lasbek is a showcase project of the energy transition … In the future, each new wind turbine at the Lasbek wind farm will generate more electricity than the six turbines that have been in operation for 20 years combined.
“This shows the importance of repowering for the rapid expansion of renewable energies in Germany.”
RWE is making the rotors of two turbines currently being dismantled available to the “BladeReUse” research project of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
The scheme, in which RWE and other partners are involved, investigates how rotor blades can be recycled more sustainably and efficiently.
Specifically, the materials are to be used in noise barriers along motorways. Other parts of the systems will be stored as spare parts for the RWE fleet.
Four other old machines will remain on the grid for as long as possible in parallel with the new construction of the modern turbines in order to continue generating green electricity.
Efficiency and resource conservation are also the focus of further construction work, as the removed gravel material from paths and crane parking areas in the new wind farm is partially reused.