RWE has held a ground-breaking ceremony for Kail wind farm in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
On the high plateau near the Moselle, RWE is building three wind turbines with a total capacity of 12.9MW.
In February, the company was awarded the contract for the project by the Federal Network Agency.
Katja Wünschel, chief executive for RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, said: “The start of construction of the Kail wind farm is a positive signal for the expansion of renewable energies in Rhineland-Palatinate.
“The good cooperation with the municipalities, the district of Cochem-Zell and the local farmers also contributed to this. After commissioning, we will be able to supply around 7,500 households per year with green electricity.”
RWE plans to put the new Kail wind farm into operation at the end of 2025.
The local communities benefit directly from this, as RWE voluntarily pays out 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour generated.
In addition to the lease payments for the land, the local municipalities can expect additional income of up to €60,000 per year.
The high plateau near the Moselle has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Archaeologists from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate have therefore examined the site in advance and secured and archived finds, RWE said.
The upcoming construction work will also be planned as environmentally friendly and resource-saving as possible, for example, the expanded masses of paths and crane parking areas in the wind farm will be reused and not transported away.