Wind energy in Germany: Vestas receives 26 MW order for citizen-owned wind farm

Windpark Kirchberg GmbH & Co.KG has placed an order of eight V126-3.3 MW for a 26.4 MW wind park in Baden Wurttemberg. With over 90 percent share, local citizens will own a larger share of this wind park than any other in southern Germany.

Vestas entered the German market in 1986. Since then, the company has delivered about 7,000 turbines representing a total capacity of more than 10,300 MW to this key market.  Vestas’ full wind energy value chain is represented in Germany: R&D, production, sales locations along with a unique service infrastructure as well as business unit headquarters. Vestas employs around 1,900 people in Germany.

 

 

The wind turbines will be installed in the Hohenlohe region in northeast Baden Wurttemberg, with delivery expected to start in the first quarter of 2016 and commissioning expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016.  The project will utilise the Vestas-patented Large Diameter Steel Towers with 137 meter hub heights.

The contract comprises supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines, along with a 15-year full-scope service agreement (AOM 4000) as well as a VestasOnline® Business SCADA solution to maximise production and minimise downtime.

“Our wind energy project is a wonderful example of a privately owned wind farm. With more than 90 percent of the capital being provided by people from the region, no privately-owned wind farm in southern Germany has as large a citizen share as this great project”, say Ralf Stier and Georg Persigehl managing directors of the Kirchberg/Jagst power plant. “We were convinced by the V126-3.3 MW technology and high performance. Doing business with Vestas already for more than a decade, we know we have a reliable partner for the lifetime of the wind farm, and are very confident that we selected the right partner for this showcase project for the energy transition in southern Germany”.

“Our large diameter steel towers take advantage of stronger wind conditions at higher hub heights.  Combining this with our proven 3 MW platform is an optimal choice to harvest more power in low wind areas and to lower the cost of energy – both of which support our customer’s business case. To this end, the citizen-owned wind power plant in Kirchberg Jagst shows the competitiveness of our wind energy solutions in southern Germany and is a key part of ensuring support for wind power in this region”, says Mr. Knud E. Rissel, Vice President Sales Germany.

The wind power plant will produce enough green energy to cover the residential electricity consumption of more than 10,000 German four-person-households and is a good example of how citizen-owned wind power plants support the transition to a more renewable energy mix.