RWE to knock down unsafe Juechen wind farm, build another in 2023

German energy major RWE AG (ETR:RWE) will demolish an unsafe onshore wind farm in the town of Juechen, western Germany, and assemble a new 27-MW one in its place in 2023, the company said on Thursday.

The Juechen A 44n wind farm, equipped with six turbines made by Nordex SE (ETR:NDX1), was in the process of commissioning last year when RWE and its project partners discovered damage to one its concrete towers. The damaged turbine was shut down in August 2021.

Later last year, a Nordex turbine of the same type but belonging to another operator collapsed in Haltern am See, prompting RWE and Nordex to shut down the remaining five machines at Juechen A 44n and cordon off the area as a precaution.

Juechen A 44n is the joint project of RWE, the town of Juechen and the Moenchengladbach-based energy supplier NEW.

On Thursday, RWE said the entire wind farm would be dismantled starting this month after all parties agreed to replace the towers.

Five towers will be brought down in a controlled demolition. The dismantling of the damaged tower will done according to a separate plan due to its specific damage pattern, the company said.

A new wind farm with six turbines will be assembled at the site. RWE and the project partners expect to finalise the works and hook the wind farm to the grid in 2023.

RWE added that it does not operate any other wind farms with this specific tower.

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