Qualitas Energy starts construction at Salingen wind farm after successful project development phase
21/09/2023 – Berlin
- With a vision for a sustainable energy future, over 3,500 households will soon receive environmentally friendly wind power from Salingen.
- Repowering existing plants enhances the potential for efficient use of wind sites, ensuring the success of the energy transition.
Qualitas Energy, a global investment and management platform focused on renewable energy, energy transition, and sustainable infrastructure investment, is entering the construction phase after successful development work at the Salingen repowering project.
Salingen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, a Dortmund district, approximately 10 km from the city center. The two 1.5 MW turbines were connected to the grid in 2002 and have since provided sustainable wind power to approximately 2,000 households.
“Qualitas Energy acquired the wind farm in 2019 and, thanks to intensive development work, successfully guided it through the approval process,” says Ann-Kathrin Eitel, Project Manager at Qualitas Energy Service GmbH, a company of the Qualitas Energy Group, specialized in the development, construction, and operation of wind farms in Germany. “We were able to positively decide the tender process of the Federal Network Agency in our favor this spring.”, she adds.
The remuneration for the sale of electricity for the next 20 years is determined through a tender process, paving the way for the next step.
Dismantling and rebuilding for an environmentally friendly energy future
“Preparations for dismantling the existing plants have already begun in Salingen,” explains Bernadett Fischer, Site Manager at Qualitas Energy Service GmbH. “As part of a resource- efficient, sustainable dismantling process, we attach great importance to reusing spare parts and otherwise carefully recycling them.”, she says.
Instead of the old turbines, a modern, more powerful, and therefore very efficient wind turbine of the type Enercon E160 with a total output of 5.56 MW and a hub height of 120 meters will be installed. This upgrade increases electricity production at the Salingen site while halving the number of turbines.
Ambitious scheduling
The construction project has picked up speed, and a kick-off meeting in August brought all parties involved together to discuss the details on site. The first existing turbine will be dismantled in October. This will be followed by the construction of the new infrastructure and foundation, with the goal of having the new turbine operational by mid-2024. Once construction is complete, the remaining existing turbine will be dismantled.
The Salingen wind site symbolizes the enormous potential that can be leveraged for the grand vision of a successful energy transition thanks to plant repowering and the resulting efficient use of land. In the future, more than 3,500 households will be supplied with renewable energy from Salingen.
Qualitas Energy Deutschland GmbH is part of the Qualitas Energy Group, which is committed to driving the change towards a decarbonized economy and focused on the acquisition, financing, project development, construction, and operation of onshore wind turbines with a team of more than 250 employees at its offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Wiesbaden, Trier, Stuttgart, and Cologne.
About Qualitas Energy
Qualitas Energy is a leading investment and management platform focused on renewable energy, energy transition, and sustainable infrastructure investment. Since 2006, the Qualitas Energy team has managed investments of more than €11 billion in renewable energy worldwide. These investments have been deployed through five vehicles: Fotowatio / FRV, Vela Energy, Q-Energy III, Q-Energy IV, and Q-Energy V. Qualitas Energy’s existing portfolio currently holds 5 GW of operating and development energy assets, including 3 GW of wind, more than 1 GWp of solar PV, 242 MW of solar thermal power (CSP), 180 MW of renewable natural gas, 63 MW of battery, and 60 MW of hydroelectric power assets across Spain, Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, and Chile. Since 2020, Qualitas Energy has produced sufficient energy to power 1.54 million homes and, since 2021, has successfully avoided emissions of 1.32 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. The Qualitas Energy team is composed of more than 650 professionals across twelve offices in Madrid, Berlin, London, Milan, Hamburg, Wiesbaden, Trier, Cologne, Stuttgart, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Santiago.