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RWE has won the Hessian state forest, giving it the right to develop a wind farm in the municipality of Staufenberg, Hesse. With an installed capacity exceeding 30 MW, the wind farm is expected to generate green electricity, catering to the energy needs of approximately 22,000 households in the region annually.
Hesse has a massive forest coverage, surpassing 42 percent of its total area. Sites that have undergone clear-cutting or are well-suited for forestry present great opportunities for installing wind turbines. However, it’s essential to preserve biotopes, valuable existing forests, and sensitive areas dedicated to biodiversity protection and recreation, where wind turbines cannot be erected.
RWE is actively engaging in dialogue with local stakeholders to explore potential synergies. This includes discussions about cooperation prospects with EAM Natur Energie GmbH, an energy supplier and project developer based in Kassel. EAM Natur Energie GmbH is planning to install wind turbines on adjacent municipal land in the town of Allendorf (Lumda). Initial consultations have already started with Sonnenland eG, a local citizens’ energy cooperative, to explore opportunities for citizen participation and involvement in surrounding communities.
Presently, RWE manages approximately 90 onshore wind farms within Germany. To accelerate its expansion efforts, it is actively scouting suitable locations for new wind energy or solar plants.
Katja Wünschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, commented, “We are very pleased that we have won this tender. Successfully implementing the energy transition also means considering suitable areas in forests, while always taking nature conservation and species protection into account. The Staufenberg site is tried and tested as several wind turbines are already in operation in the immediate vicinity of RWE’s planned wind farm.”
