Commissioning of the repowered wind farm in Raßlitz
As part of the repowering project in Raßlitz, Saxony, Energiequelle has successfully commissioned two Enercon E-160 wind turbines. These new turbines replace the previous E-58 models and feature a hub height of 166.6 meters and a capacity of 5.56 MW each. This upgrade increases the energy output eightfold. The projected annual energy yield of the new turbines is around 40.8 million kilowatt-hours, which is enough to supply more than ten thousand households with green, CO₂-free electricity – a significant step forward for the energy transition in the region.
Long planning phase
The commissioning of the new wind turbines followed a long and challenging planning process. The first planning steps by Energiequelle GmbH began back in 2013 and progressed with the signing of the lease agreements in 2017. It took another seven years before the potential site was designated as a priority and suitable area for wind energy in the regional development plan. With the establishment of planning rights in 2020, Energiequelle was able to submit the permit application under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG), which was approved in autumn 2022. The official declaration of completeness for the application, multiple changes to planning regulations due to Saxon legislation, and growing resistance to wind energy expansion in the state of Saxony were just some of the hurdles that had to be overcome.
A particularly demanding task was the construction of a dedicated substation, as Fabian Musall, Head of Project Management at Energiequelle’s Dresden office, explains: “After successfully participating in the Federal Network Agency’s tender and receiving the maximum award, we were informed that the originally planned substation was no longer available due to increased capacity. We had to quickly mobilize all resources to build our own substation.”
This effort was successful, and since June 20, the energy generated by the wind farm has been reliably fed into the public grid.
The wind farm has been sold to Encavis AG, a leading European renewable energy producer. The company operates a broadly diversified portfolio of onshore wind farms, ground-mounted solar installations, and battery storage systems.
Photo: Installation of one of the E-160 turbines at the repowered Raßlitz wind farm (Copyright: Enercon)
