Wind energy: Investments in North Rhine-Westphalia's innovation hub are worthwhile

Europe's largest opencast lignite mining area is becoming a climate-neutral industrial region at record-breaking speed. This is precisely why Rheinisches Revier is currently pushing ahead with the expansion of renewable energies. Wind power is set to play a key role in this. And indeed, Rheinisches Revier offers the best conditions for companies: for turbine manufacturers and their suppliers, for wind turbine producers, but also for wind farm project developers and installers. Thanks to a strong industry and investments in (green) hydrogen, wind energy is always in demand.

Wind energy offensive in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)

In the first half of 2024 alone, North Rhine-Westphalia approved more than 1,300 megawatts of new wind energy capacity. Compared with the rest of Germany, the federal state has emerged as the undisputed leader. According to an area potential study, turbines with a possible total capacity of over 48 gigawatts including the current portfolio can be installed. Rheinisches Revier offers especially promising conditions for wind energy. Its recultivated open-cast mining areas are particularly easy to allocate for wind farms. There is theoretically space for almost eleven gigawatts of capacity in total, according to the same area potential study – only a small portion has been used so far.

A center for wind energy in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rheinisches Revier have documented their commitment to filling available space with wind farms in a “Gigawatt Pact”. The message is that a successful transformation requires the massive expansion of renewable energies. And the Gigawatt Pact aims to speed up planning and approval procedures to achieve this. Reliable customers are guaranteed for wind energy in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia. In Rheinisches Revier, 93,000 people work in energy-intensive industries, in sectors such as chemicals, metal and paper. To ensure that they continue to produce here despite the coal phase-out, a secure power supply is needed.

In addition to the Gigawatt Pact and big industry players as consumers, a large number of energy suppliers ensure that companies along the entire wind energy value chain can feel welcome in Rheinisches Revier. These include RWE, RheinEnergie and various municipal utilities such as STAWAG AG. Another advantage is the area’s excellent infrastructure. Rheinisches Revier is located in the heart of Europe along high-performance transportation routes. Manufacturers and suppliers of wind turbines in particular are ideally positioned here in terms of logistics. As an energy and industrial region, Rheinisches Revier also has excellent grid infrastructure. Around 720 wind turbines are already supplying green energy.

Important wind farm projects in Rheinisches Revier

RWE and the town of Bedburg operate the Königshovener Höhe wind farm on the former site of the Garzweiler opencast lignite mine. 21 turbines have an output of 67 MW, covering the annual needs of almost 60,000 households. In the future, the installed capacity will be 90 MW.

People around the municipality of Simmerath are extremely open to wind energy projects. This is because their municipal budget benefits directly from them. The "Bürger-Windpark Simmerath-Lammersdorf" currently has a total of 24 wind turbines.

In summer 2025, the district of Düren will have another large wind farm. In Aldenhoven, on the former site of the Inden opencast mine, RWE is building a wind farm with a capacity of around 34 megawatts.

How research enriches wind energy investments

There is also still great potential for innovation in the wind power sector. With their strong industry focus, the research institutions in Rheinisches Revier can support companies in further developing their technologies and reducing costs. Without question, the conditions for wind energy investments are highly beneficial.

As a German university of excellence, RWTH Aachen University not only conducts important research work, but also translates this into practical applications. Its Center for Wind Power Drives coordinates interdisciplinary research into wind energy drive systems. Leading international companies such as Vestas, Nordex, ThyssenKrupp and ZF Friedrichshafen are involved. The Center for Wind and Earthquake Engineering (CWE) primarily provides pre-competitive research on material and safety issues relating to wind turbines and their components.

The Energy Technology course is all about the transition to a sustainable energy industry. The University of Applied Sciences at Aachen cooperates with other scientific institutions and partners from industry. The next generation of specialists is maturing in the practice-oriented course, which will also enable the wind energy sector to be well positioned for the future.

Energy is one of the focal points of Forschungszentrum Jülich. The Institute of Climate & Energy Systems (IEC) in particular carries out important work in the field of renewable sources. The Institute for a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) and the Helmholtz Hydrogen Cluster (HC-H2) provide expertise on possible storage technologies or the production of green hydrogen from wind power.

Wind power and hydrogen: lots of potential in the H2-Hub

Wind energy enjoys a very special locational advantage in North Rhine-Westphalia. The federal state is regarded as a German hydrogen pioneer. And Rheinisches Revier in particular is investing in the expansion of the H2 sector and combines enormous expertise in science and industry – not least through the Helmholtz Hydrogen Cluster (HC-H2). Electrolysers are being built all over the region. For example, in Bedburg and Düren. Here, the plants will produce green hydrogen from wind energy. Since surplus wind power can also be stored and converted back into electricity using hydrogen, the strong H₂ sector in Rheinisches Revier also opens opportunities to increase the efficiency of the energy source.

Where your wind energy investments pay off

There is enormous potential for wind energy in Rheinisches Revier – and therefore the best investment opportunities for companies along the entire value chain. And research institutions also benefit from a wealth of expertise here. NRW.Global Business looks forward to working with you to make your project a reality. Get in touch with us!