What Will Remain of the Energy Transition – Innovative Energy or Barren Land?

We fact-check common myths surrounding fossil fuels and renewable energies at the end of their life cycle

What happens when opencast mines, power stations and wind turbines are no longer needed?

When huge bucket wheel excavators are dismantled, power stations closed and wind turbines decommissioned, what remains is unusable land and hazardous waste – at least, that is what the critics argue. Once coal has been mined and gas or other fossil fuels have been used to generate electricity, there is no longer any meaningful use for these sometimes enormous facilities. And even renewables would fail to deliver on their promise of sustainability, because discarded wind turbines and solar modules end up as hazardous waste. But does this reflect the actual reality?

Many examples show that this view is too simplistic – and in many cases simply wrong. New utilisation concepts, technological developments and a growing focus on the circular economy ensure that energy sites continue to contribute to the transformation even after decommissioning.

Will only empty brownfield sites remain after the phase-out of fossil fuels?

The clear answer is no. Many former power plant and opencast mining sites are now being actively repurposed – for new technologies, renaturation or renewable energies.

For example, Germany’s largest battery storage facility is currently being built on the site of the decommissioned nuclear power plant in Gundremmingen, Baden-Württemberg, and is scheduled for completion in 2027.

The planned facility will have an output of 400 MW and a storage capacity of 700 MWh – enough to supply around 1,000 households with electricity for a day.

The project will utilise existing power lines and the grid connection of the former power plant site – an example of how existing infrastructure can be reused in a climate-friendly way.

Five suited people take part in a ceremonial ground-breaking at a site with RWE flags, excavators, safety barriers and a cooling tower.

Fraunhofer ISE confirms that this is more than just a stopgap solution: studies show that the continued use of existing grid connections at sites is essential to meet the demand for large-scale stationary storage facilities (approx. 100 GWh by 2030) without the need for expensive and time-consuming new power line construction.

In Lingen, Lower Saxony, an originally fossil-only site is also becoming the seedbed of new energy technology: two hydrogen electrolysis plants are being built here.

The smaller 14 MW pilot plant has been in operation since August 2024 and produces up to 270 kilograms of green hydrogen per hour.

The larger plant is currently under construction and is expected to supply green hydrogen with a generation capacity of 300 MW in the medium term. Here, too, the fossil fuel infrastructure is being repurposed for new energy solutions – completely CO2-free.

A modern industrial facility featuring pipes, tanks, and pumps in a well-lit space.
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Conversion of open-cast mines

Conversion of open-cast mines

The Rhenish lignite area shows how former and still active open-cast mines are being converted into new energy sites. For example, several solar parks have already been built in the Hambach opencast mine, some with integrated battery storage facilities.

More about solar energy in open-cast mining
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Agri-photovoltaics

Agri-photovoltaics: harmonising electricity production and agriculture

On a recultivated area of the Garzweiler opencast mine, RWE is also demonstrating how Agri-photovoltaics can reduce the conflict between electricity production and agriculture over land use – a topic that fuels its own myths.

More about agri-photovoltaics
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New biotopes and biodiversity

New biotopes and biodiversity on former mining landscapes

Incidentally, while former mining landscapes are often perceived as “wasteland” by many sceptics, Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature Conservation classifies them as “high-quality secondary biotopes”. This is because former lignite mining areas in particular are often more species-rich than conventional farmland – and offer endangered species a rare refuge.

More about the Leipzig-Bitterfeld mining landscape (German)
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New lake landscapes

New lake landscapes created by Rhine water transport pipeline

With the construction of the Rhine water transport pipeline, RWE is also embarking on a major infrastructure project in 2026 that will enable the future Hambach and Garzweiler opencast mining lakes to be filled with water from the River Rhine. In this way, RWE is creating new lake landscapes and valuable habitats for a wide variety of animal species in the Rhenish lignite area.

More about the Rhine water transport pipeline (German)
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Recultivation and agricultural restoration

Recultivation and agricultural restoration

RWE has been actively involved in recultivation for decades – which means restoring landscapes ecologically and agriculturally after they have been used for opencast mining. The Group’s own Recultivation Research Center, documents how lignite mining areas are being transformed back into forests, wetlands, farmland or new biotopes – including the return of animal species that are rarely found in conventionally used agricultural areas.

More about the Recultivation Research Centre

Are wind turbines and solar modules ultimately nothing more than hazardous waste?

The question also arises for renewables: what happens when wind power or solar plants reach the end of their service life? Do they become contaminated sites, or can materials and components be recycled?

A look at the facts from the German Federal Environment Agency puts things into perspective: around 90 per cent of a wind turbine (foundation, tower) is already fully recyclable today. 

RWE shows how this can look in practice. The Spanish Onshore wind farm Muel has been repowered: the 27 old wind turbines have been replaced by three modern ones with significantly higher output.

More than 99.8% of the materials from the old wind farm were reused or recycled – including the 81 rotor blades, for which the project received an award. 

RWE is already using almost fully recyclable rotor blades in several offshore wind farms. For these, a new type of resin is used. It allows composite materials to be separated at the end of a rotor blades’ life, which means that the components can be physically recycled.

Wind turbines stand on a hill against a dramatic sky during sunset, overlooking a vast landscape of fields.

The accusation that energy projects leave behind unused wasteland or technological contamination is therefore short-sighted. More and more land, facilities and materials are being given a second life as new plants, natural spaces or recycled raw materials. The circular economy plays a fundamental role in this and is being used increasingly.

Conclusion: With every end of an energy field, something new begins.

  • The sites of former power plants and opencast mines do not become wastelands.
    In many locations, new wind farms or natural areas are being created – often based on existing infrastructure.

  • The idea of “hazardous waste wind turbines” is long outdated.
    Modern plants are recycled, components are reused or directly replaced with recyclable materials.

  • Renewable energies are also part of the circular economy.
    RWE draws on its experience in various areas of renewable energy generation to share knowledge and promote circularity – from repowering to rotor blade recycling.

  • Yesterday’s energy sites are becoming platforms for transformation.
    Whether large-scale battery storage, renewable energy plants or biodiversity areas: the next use is often already being planned before the old one ends.

  • Not everything is perfect yet – but the development is visible and measurable.
    Many of RWE’s projects are pioneers in their category and set standards for dealing with energy infrastructure in transition.

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