Wind park powers directly Thyssenkrupp steel plant in Germany

Thyssenkrupp Steel's plant in Hagen has become the first German industrial plant to be supplied with locally generated wind power via a direct connection to a newly installed wind park nearby.

The four wind turbines of the 17-MW Hohenlimburg wind farm are connected to the Thyssenkrupp factory network via a direct line that is around 3 kilometres long, the steel maker said on Monday. This means that most of the 55 GWh that the wind farm generates each year can be used directly without using the public grid. In case of strong winds or lower demand from the plant, the surplus from the wind park is supplied to other company locations via the public grid.

The green energy from the wind farm is expected to cover about 40% of the plant's annual electricity needs.

"The direct supply agreed between Thyssenkrupp and SL NaturEnergie is a signal for industrial companies nationwide," said Tanja Koenig, managing director of industry association LEE NRW.

"The most efficient way to bring new energy and industry together is through direct delivery from a wind farm to an industrial facility. At the same time, this reduces the strain on public electricity grids. We want this to become the standard in Germany. Unfortunately, the current energy legislation still contains numerous hurdles, so politicians will need to step in again to help achieve this," commented Klaus Schulze Langenhorst, founder and managing director of SL NaturEnergie.

With 1,000 employees, Thyssenkrupp Steel's plant in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia produces hot-rolled precision steel strip from Hohenlimburg. Customers are primarily the cold rolling industry, the automotive industry and its suppliers, as well as the sawmill and agricultural machinery industries

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!