New momentum through repowering – from 13 to five

The time had come for the 13 wind turbines at the Flomborn wind farm in Rhineland-Palatinate: they were dismantled in 2013 and replaced by just five new turbines, which now generate twice as much electricity as their predecessors. The more modern turbines have a combined capacity of 15 megawatts and generate 37.5 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually. This is enough to supply around 11,000 households with electricity and save 30,000 tons of climate-damaging CO2 every year.

In a process known as “repowering,” older wind turbines are replaced with modern, powerful, and therefore more efficient turbines. This is because wind turbine technology has made great strides in recent years. New turbines are not only larger and more powerful—they are also significantly quieter and therefore more environmentally friendly. That is why old turbines are being dismantled and replaced by modern wind turbines in many places in Rhineland-Palatinate. With the dismantling guarantees required for every wind power project, the old turbines could be completely dismantled and recycled. This is another impressive example of the sustainability and cost-efficiency of wind energy.