RWE and the town of Bedburg, Germany, make plans to expand wind power by more than 150 MW

This is the third wind farm project between the two partners. RWE and the town of Bedburg are building nine more wind turbines with a total output of around 60 MW on re-cultivated land at the Garzweiler opencast mine. With the new Windpark Bedburg 3, the two partners will then operate a total of 156 MW of wind power in the municipality of Bedburg. Construction of the wind farm, which will be built in the immediate vicinity of the existing Königshovener Höhe and Bedburg A44n wind farms, is scheduled to begin in April 2025.

Sascha Solbach, Mayor of Bedburg, responded: “I am proud that the town of Bedburg, together with our partners, has been playing a pioneering role in the region’s energy transition for years. This is enormously important for the long-term structural change, but also, above all, for our citizens because the income from the wind farm will benefit our town and thus the local people.”

Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, added: “I am delighted that we are able to quickly realise another wind farm together in the town of Bedburg. Our shared goal of developing wind energy and making the most of the ideal site conditions on the re-cultivated land is the basis of our long-standing and trusting relationship, which all the people of Bedburg will benefit from.”

As with Königshovener Höhe and Bedburg A44n, Bedburg and RWE each hold a 50% stake in the new wind farm. In addition, RWE will pay 0.2¢/kWh produced to the surrounding communities. The municipality of Bedburg will benefit most from the annual income of up to €250 000, but the neighbouring town of Jüchen will also receive a share.

In April 2025, the construction of access roads for the delivery of large components will begin. The re-cultivated subsoil will then be improved using vibro-displacement compaction. Construction of the foundations is planned for summer 2025. The nine wind turbines will be connected to the public grid via RWE Power’s existing electrical infrastructure at the Garzweiler opencast mine. The last turbine of the new wind farm is expected to be fully operational in 2H26.

Seven of the new wind turbines will each have an installed capacity of 7 MW and will be among the most powerful for onshore use. The two other turbines will each have a capacity of 5.7 MW. The three wind farms in the Bedburg area illustrate the technical progress that wind turbines have made in recent years. By way of comparison, the Königshovener Höhe wind farm, which was completed in 2015, has 21 turbines with an installed capacity of around 67 MW, while the Bedburg 3 wind farm has a total capacity of around 60 MW with just nine turbines.

Since 2015, more than just wind farms have been built in Bedburg. In 2024, RWE commissioned a photovoltaic (PV) plant on the verge along the A44 motorway. In the immediate vicinity, RWE is testing the interaction between agriculture and green electricity generation with its agri-PV demonstration plant. Further renewable projects are in the pipeline.

 

 

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/15042025/rwe-and-the-town-of-bedburg-germany-make-plans-to-expand-wind-power-by-more-than-150-mw/