RWE is set to begin construction this month on a 60-megawatt wind farm in the city of Bedburg, Germany, after securing success in a national EEG tender. The project, named Bedburg 3, will be built on recultivated land from a former opencast lignite mine.
The new development expands the existing partnership between RWE and the city of Bedburg, bringing their joint wind power capacity in the area to 156 megawatts. RWE holds a 51% stake in the project, while the municipality retains a 49% share, continuing the collaborative model used in the previously established Königshovener Höhe and Bedburg A44n wind farms.
“According to the motto all good things come in threes, I am very pleased that we are quickly realising another wind farm together with the city of Bedburg,” said Katja Wünschel, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia. “The common goal of expanding wind energy and using the ideal site conditions on the recultivated area are the basis for our long-standing and trusting cooperation, from which all Bedburgers benefit.”
As part of its community contribution model, RWE will pay €0.002 per kilowatt-hour produced to surrounding municipalities. The city of Bedburg is expected to receive up to €250,000 annually from these payments, with neighbouring Jüchen also set to benefit.
Road construction for transporting large components is scheduled to begin in April 2025. Ground preparation on the recultivated land will involve vibratory tamping compaction, with foundation construction expected to take place over the summer.
The nine turbines will be connected to the public power grid via existing infrastructure at RWE Power’s Garzweiler opencast mine. Full commissioning of the wind farm is planned for the second half of 2026.
