With the Kuhstedt II wind farm, PNE AG has now commissioned another wind farm. The four GE 5.5-158 wind turbines each have an output of 5.5 MW. The clean energy generated by the turbines can be used to supply almost 18,000 households. The environment benefits from 34,000 tons less CO2 emissions per year, or 67,000 tons less lignite per year, which corresponds to a freight train length of 20.6 km.
The new wind farm remains in PNE's own operation. The company's own portfolio thus grows to 283 MW. "Part of our corporate strategy is to significantly increase our own-operation portfolio. The new wind farm brings us another step closer to our goal of having wind farms with a total capacity of 500 MW in own operation or under construction by the end of 2023. Wind farms with a capacity of 102 MW are currently under construction. With the new wind farm, we are making an important contribution to combating climate change," says Markus Lesser, CEO of PNE.
Construction of the Kuhstedt II wind farm in the Rotenburg district began in July 2021 and the wind turbines are already producing. By the beginning of October, the finishing work, such as the reworking of paths, verges and used farmland, will be completed. The wind farm also includes its own transformer station, located in the center of the wind farm, which enables the green electricity to be fed into the public grid. PNE takes ecology into account through compensatory measures. Birdlife in particular benefits. For example, there are grassland strips for buzzards, grassland extensification for lapwings and fallow strips for other field and meadow birds.
Heavy precipitation in the fall and winter of last year, and with it a later breeding of the crane, had delayed the commissioning of the last wind turbine by almost two months.
"We are pleased that the wind farm is now in operation," explains Dipl.-Ing. Jens Peters, project manager at PNE. "The cooperation with the landowners and tenants on site has always been very goal-oriented and supportive for the project. The cooperation with the municipality of Kuhstedt, the affected landowners and the Lower Nature Conservation Authority of the Rotenburg district, as well as the construction companies carrying out the work and the wind turbine manufacturer GE during the rescheduling of the delivery route from the B71 to the B74 through the Kuhstedt locality was also very solution-oriented. Many thanks for this to all involved."
The wind farm, which has just gone into operation, is to be extended by two more wind turbines of identical design. A corresponding application for approval was already submitted in August of this year. Two wind turbines will be replaced by two new turbines with a total rated output of 11 MW.