PPA Cooperation: UKA to Build 120 MW Wind Farm For Mercedes Benz at Test Site in Papenburg

Meissen, Papenburg / Germany - Mercedes-Benz is also focusing on the expansion of wind energy in the expansion of its green power portfolio.

After announcing the installation of a wind farm at its test site in Papenburg, northern Germany, the automotive group has now reached a key milestone in its further plans. Mercedes Benz has signed a long-term contract worth hundreds of millions of euros with the German wind and solar farm developer UKA.

By the middle of the decade, approximately 20 wind turbines with a capacity of more than 120 megawatts (MW) are to be built on the Mercedes Benz site under a power purchase agreement (PPA). According to UKA, this will make it possible to cover around 20 percent of Mercedes-Benz Group AG's annual electricity requirements in Germany.

The approval process for the wind farm is scheduled to start before the end of 2023. Subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, construction of the wind turbines could begin as early as next year and the wind farm could start operations in 2026. Planning for the implementation of the wind farm project by UKA and the ecologically sustainable use of the land will be carried out in close consultation with the relevant local authorities as well as local stakeholders, UKA said.

In addition to the construction of the wind farm, the installation of photovoltaic systems on the test track is also being examined. The approximately 800-hectare test site has been an integral part of Mercedes Benz's research and development activities since 1998.

"By 2039, we intend to cover the energy needs of our global production network entirely with renewable energies, and therefore without CO₂ emissions. We are systematically gearing our locations up for this," said Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain Management. "We at UKA are very pleased that a tender was decided in our favour and are proud to be able to implement this project together with Mercedes-Benz," adds UKA Managing Partner Gernot Gauglitz.

Source: IWR Online, 25 May 2023