Following extensive modernisation and a construction period of just one year, RWE has commissioned its new Lasbek wind farm. In the municipality of Lasbek in the Stormarn district of Schleswig-Holstein, the company replaced six existing turbines with a total capacity of 10.8 megawatts (MW) with four new, more powerful turbines, with a total capacity of 22.8 MW. These turbines will increase electricity generation fivefold, meaning the new Lasbek wind farm can now supply an estimated 18,000 households. The region will also benefit from this repowering project, with the surrounding municipalities set to receive up to €124,000 per year of operation, which is around €100,000 more than before. This additional income can be used to provide financial support to municipal facilities such as daycare centres, schools or fire departments, for example.
RWE is making the rotor blades from one old turbine available to the BladeReUse research project at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. This project, involving RWE and other partners*, is investigating how rotor blades from wind turbines can be reused more sustainably and efficiently. The robust and durable composite materials are to be processed in such a way that they can be reused in products suitable for large-scale production. Specifically, the materials are to be used in noise barrier walls along motorways. Other turbine parts will be warehoused as spare parts for the RWE fleet.
Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “I am delighted we have commissioned Lasbek wind farm! We have given the farm a new lease of life in the same location with fewer turbines but five times the electricity generation capacity. Repowering offers enormous potential. Our wind farm can now supply 18,000 households. Many of the turbine components are also being repurposed in other wind farms or in innovative noise barrier walls along motorways. The surrounding communities are also benefiting from additional income of up to €100,000 per year. We would like to thank the RWE team, our partners, as well as the authorities and grid operators involved for their reliable collaboration and swift implementation.”
Growth in the German market for onshore wind
Using onshore wind energy is crucial for the energy transition and is one of the cornerstones of expanding renewable energy sources. RWE is currently constructing onshore wind farms in Germany with a total planned capacity of 145 MW, and already has 760 MW in operation.
A picture of the new wind farm is available in the RWE-Media Center (Bildrechte: RWE).