U.K.-based firms Octopus Energy and RES have commenced construction on an 11.4 MW wind farm in west Germany.
The wind farm is located on a disused site of a former U.S. air station site near Prüm in west Germany, close to the Luxembourg and Belgium border.
The project comprises two large Nordex turbines and is expected to generate enough energy to power 13,500 homes, which is equivalent to planting 100,000 trees or removing 110,000 petrol cars from the road. The wind farm is set to become operational in 2024.
Octopus Energy Generation, a subsidiary of Octopus, acquired the wind farm from the project developer RES.
The project marks Octopus’ fourth wind farm investment in Germany within a year. It is also the first joint venture between Octopus and RES in Germany.
RES will oversee the construction of the wind farm and manage its operations under a 20-year contract.
Octopus entered Germany’s renewable generation market in June 2022 and currently manages over 100 MW of onshore wind farm projects across the country. These projects are anticipated to provide clean power to approximately 100,000 homes. The company says it has several additional deals in the pipeline to expand its generation portfolio in Germany over the next few months.
“Germany continues to lead the way onshore wind showing how a supportive policy direction and collaboration can positively shape the pace of deployment,” said Rachel Ruffle, EMEA CEO of RES. “Delivering more onshore wind will always be a win-win situation – greening our energy mix with cheaper generation and bringing inward economic investment to local areas.”
Germany had 2.4 GW of new onshore wind capacity installed last year, more than any other European country. Onshore wind accounts for 17 percent of the country’s electricity mix, with the government aiming to increase capacity by 10 GW per year from 2025 onward.
