Major milestone reached: Permit granted for Elster Repowering wind farm

Good news! Our Elster wind farm, one of the largest repowering projects in Europe, gets the green light.

Step by step to permit
The idea for this project was born almost a decade ago. A lot has happened since then: in 2014, work began on securing the site of the wind farm, which was twelve years old at the time. Between October 2017 and September 2018, we carried out preliminary planning, which included determining the yield potential of the Elster Repowering wind farm using lidar measurement methods and investigating different turbine types for their site-specific suitability. Several species assessments were also conducted. In the subsequent design phase, our focus was on commissioning and assisting with expert reports. This was necessary because the configuration of the new wind farm required a new review and assessment of noise, shadow flicker, nature conservation and species protection. The permit process could only be started once all the documents were available and no further amendments under planning law were required. After a thorough examination of all documents, the authority has now given the green light for our repowering project.

New life for old wind turbines
At the Elster Repowering wind farm site, the dismantling of the existing turbines is still in full swing. The first areas are already being returned to agriculture. Dismantling of the 50 old Enercon E-40 turbines is already complete. The dismantling was carried out by the company KSR-Wind-Solution, which specialises in the dismantling and recycling of old turbines. For some of the old turbines, a second life is now beginning abroad. What’s more, KSR is storing turbines from the old wind farm to use as a pool of high-quality used parts. These can be reused after inspection and repair.

Dismantling to last until summer 2023
The dismantling of the old foundations is currently underway and is expected to be completed in June 2023. At the same time, we are starting the preparatory work for the construction of the new wind turbines. In the process, we are reusing the crushed RC concrete from the old foundations for the construction of the crane parking areas. This is an example of how we use existing resources sustainably. We expect to start construction of the 16 new turbines in early 2024.