Germany's oldest wind turbine falls in controlled explosion for repowering push

A 24-year-old wind turbine near Olpe-Rehringhausen will be demolished by controlled explosion today. The structure, standing at 98 metres tall, has reached the end of its 20-year subsidy period under Germany's Renewable Energy Act (EEG). Its removal marks the start of a repowering project to boost energy output at the site. Originally, the Rehringhausen site was planned to host 18 wind turbines. However, local opposition, conservation rules, and legal restrictions under the Immissionsschutzgesetz and BWE landscape guidelines reduced the number to 12. Now, only three turbines remain, but two of these will soon be replaced.

The repowering will cut the number of turbines from three to two. Despite this reduction, the new installations will generate five times more energy than the old ones. Each of the two new turbines will tower at 162 metres—significantly taller than the current 98-metre structure. SL Naturenergie, the company behind the project, confirmed the third turbine will be dismantled rather than replaced due to cost considerations. The new turbines will each have a 6-megawatt capacity, enough to power around 11,000 households. Construction of the replacements will begin once demolition is complete.

The demolition and repowering will modernise the site's energy production. With fewer but far more powerful turbines, the project aims to increase efficiency and output. The changes reflect both technological progress and the evolving regulatory landscape for renewable energy in Germany.