EDF Renewables in Germany is announcing the repowering of the Eckolstädt wind farm, the first in a series to come. “Repowering” or renewing means the refurbishment of a facility that has reached the end of its life cycle. The Eckolstädt wind farm initially had an installed capacity of 14.5 MW, which has now been increased to 34.5 MW.
This repowering project contributes to the EDF Group’s CAP 2030 strategy, which is aimed at doubling its worldwide renewable capacity to 50 GW between 2015 and 2030.
The Eckolstädt wind farm is located in Thuringia, Germany. Developed and commissioned by EDF Renewables in 1999, it initially consisted of 11 first-generation wind turbines.
After obtaining planning permission and benefiting from a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement contract in late 2016, Eckolstädt’s wind turbines were fully dismantled by REETEC, an EDF Renewables’ subsidiary, in early 2018. The wind turbines’ components were mostly recycled and the foundations were crushed to be used as backfill for the platforms of new projects and surrounding roads.
The wind farm was then rebuilt on the same site and now consists of 10 new-generation wind turbines. The output generated by the wind farm is enough to meet the electricity needs of almost 18,500 German households.
The six-month repowering project was managed by EDF Renewables in Germany.
Installed capacity has been increased by 20 MW to 34.5 MW with a smaller number of turbines.
EDF Renewables is currently assessing other repowering projects in Germany where there is a potential of 4.5 GW or 6,000 wind turbines* to be refurbished by the end of 2020, and around 1,600 wind turbines per year between 2021 and 2026.
In France, EDF Renewables is also actively evaluating four repowering projects.
With the growing number of wind farms due to reach the end of their life-cycle between 2020 and 2030 – representing an installed capacity of around 76 GW across Europe** – repowering is a growth industry in which EDF Renewables has been developing its expertise over the last few years.
* According to the Deutsche WindGuard study: „Weiterbetrieb von Windenergieanlagen nach 2020“.
** According to the WindEurope association, almost half of the European Union’s installed wind power capacity – 141.6 GW in 2015 – is due to reach the end of its life between 2020 and 2030.
EDF Renewables is a leading international player in renewable energies, with gross installed capacity of 14.2 GW worldwide. Its development is mainly focused on wind and solar photovoltaic power. EDF Renewables operates mostly in Europe and North America but is continuing to grow by moving into promising emerging regions such as Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the Gulf. The company has strong positions in offshore wind power, but also in other areas of the renewable energies industry such distributed energy and energy storage. EDF Renewables develops, builds, operates and maintains renewable energies projects, both for itself and for third parties. Most of its international subsidiaries bear the EDF Renewables brand. EDF Renewables is the EDF Group subsidiary specialising in developing solar and wind power.
REETEC was founded 1996 in Bremen and is one of Europe’s leading independent service providers for onshore and offshore wind energy. The comprehensive service portfolio ranges from electrical engineering, electrical and mechanical assembly, operation and maintenance services (O&M), rotor blade and tower services, major component replacement and repair, aviation aid systems to qualification and training.
REETEC acquired OWS Off-Shore Wind Solutions in 2017. The joint offshore service centre in Emden offers a service hub for wind turbine generators of the North Sea plus a cost effective full maintenance concept. REETEC/OWS has 350 employees.
