Modern turbines for a higher green energy yield: RWE is driving forward the expansion of renewables in Spain with the investment decision for the Muel repowering project. The wind farm, located in the Aragon region near Zaragoza, is one of the first projects operating in this region undergoing such an extensive modernization programme. 27 wind turbines with a total capacity of 16,2 megawatts (MW) will be dismantled and replaced by three modern 6.6 MW turbines with a total capacity of 19.8 MW. Construction works are planned to start next spring with the dismantling of the old turbines, after which the new ones will be installed. They are expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the asset has been secured with an undisclosed offtaker.
The project has received funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, established by Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021, through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan - financed by the European Union - NextGenerationE.
Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “The need for onshore wind repowering in Spain is significant given the country's huge wind energy capacity and the ageing infrastructure at many wind farms. Repowering these facilities could significantly increase energy output while reducing the land footprint. The 27 turbines at Muel wind farm have been in operation for 26 years. We are now replacing them with three state-of-the-art turbines and increasing installed capacity at the same time. This shows how important repowering can be for the cost-effective expansion of renewable energy in Spain.”
Huge potential for repowering in the Spanish onshore wind market
A total of around 20 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind capacity with an operating life of more than 20 years is expected to be installed in Spain by 2030. Of the 20 GW, around 10 GW will reach 25 years of operation, representing a huge potential for repowering. Repowering therefore represents an important opportunity for Spain to increase renewable energy production while reducing the environmental impact of projects and improving integration into the electricity system through modern wind turbines with enhanced performance.
RWE Renewables Iberia
RWE Renewables Iberia is a key driver of the Spanish energy transition, developing green projects across the country. The company operates 18 onshore wind farms with a total capacity of around 500 MW and seven large-scale solar power plants with a total capacity of around 300 MWac on the Iberian Peninsula.
Pictures of the old Muel wind farm for media use (credit: RWE) are available at the RWE Media Centre.