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RWE has launched the repowering of its Muel wind farm, located near Zaragoza in the Aragon region—making it one of the first onshore wind projects in the area to undergo such a comprehensive modernization. The project involves dismantling 27 turbines with a combined capacity of 16.2 MW and replacing them with three state-of-the-art 6.6 MW turbines, increasing the wind farm’s total capacity to 19.8 MW.
Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “It is time to say farewell to the 27 turbines of our old Muel wind farm. They have reliably generated green electricity for 27 years, producing a total of 800 gigawatt hours. But this is not the end of the road for many of the components. As circularity and zero waste are key objectives at RWE some of the components will be refurbished and reused in our wind fleet, others recovered and even the blades will be recycled and get a new purpose. Soon we will be welcoming the new three state-of-the-art turbines, which will replace the old ones and increase installed capacity. A perfect example of the cost-effective expansion of wind energy in Spain.”
Spanish renewables specialist GES (Global Energy Services) has been contracted for construction and has already commenced initial works. The newly repowered Muel wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been secured with an undisclosed offtaker.
At the end of March, the original turbines—after 27 years of reliable service—were disconnected from the grid. Their dismantling is being handled by RenerCycle, a circular economy start-up focused on achieving zero waste in wind decommissioning. The company will manage the processing of all 1,350 turbine components, which will be refurbished for use in other RWE projects. Additionally, 1,825 metric tons of ferrous material will be recovered, with 95% of materials being recycled.
Among the recycled components are 81 turbine blades, which will be processed at the upcoming Waste2Fiber® recycling plant in Lumbier. Developed by ACCIONA, ACCIONA Energía, and RenerCycle, the facility will be Spain’s first to use proprietary thermal treatment technology for recycling composite blade materials, enabling the recovered fibers to be used in new industrial applications.
Funding and Broader Context
The Muel repowering project is funded by the European Union through the Recovery and Resilience Facility under the “NextGenerationEU” initiative, as part of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Spain’s onshore wind market holds significant potential for repowering. By 2030, around 20 GW of onshore wind capacity will have surpassed 20 years in operation, with half of that reaching 25 years. This presents a major opportunity to boost renewable energy output, lower environmental impact, and improve system integration through modern, high-performance turbines.
