German renewables developers VSB and NextWind are set to repower a wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt to triple its original capacity.
The developers will replace 27 old turbines – a mixture of Vestas’ V80 and V52 models and Enercon’s E66 models – with 16 new Vestas V172 units.
The previous installations in Zörbig had a capacity of 40.5MW, but repowering will boost the capacity to 115.2MW.
The developers still need to secure permitting approval for the project and then a power deal in Germany’s onshore wind auctions, VSB told “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç.
The existing turbines had previously secured a 20-year subsidy under Germany’s renewable energy sources law, known as EEG, but this has now expired, meaning the developers are selling power on the open market.
Repowering projects like this are important for reaching regional and global climate goals, as many European wind turbines could reach the end of their operational lifespan by 2030, VSB suggested.
“Repowering is an essential tool in Germany to address the limited availability of land for new projects and to meet the ambitious wind energy expansion targets. By effectively utilising designated wind energy areas, the energy generaion potential is maximised through repowering with modern and efficient turbines,” a VSB spokesperson said. “Advances in wind energy technology make it possible to generate significantly more energy in a smaller area with modern turbines.”
According to VSB, the repowering project will supply clean energy to 80,000 households. The repowering project comes alongside the commissioning of a brand new wind farm in 2027.
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