A German energy company is demolishing a wind farm to make way for the expansion of a neighbouring coal mine.

In an attempt to address the country’s energy crisis, German energy company RWE is dismantling wind farms to expand a neighbouring coal mine. The area of ​​the wind farm near the small town of Lutzerath in North Rhine-Westphalia will be used for the expansion of the Garzweiler open-pit mine.

The company admitted that although the decision seems paradoxical, it is necessary to ensure energy supply.

„We are aware that this seems paradoxical,” RWE spokesman Guido Steffen said in a statement. „But as things stand now, that’s the situation,” he added.

One of the wind farm’s eight turbines has already been decommissioned, and two more are expected to be dismantled next year. The remaining five turbines will be removed by the end of 2023, said the spokesperson of the company who built and operates the wind farm.

The demolition of the wind farm – especially for the purpose of expanding a coal mine – provoked sharp protests among climate activists, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia has repeatedly spoke out against the decommissioning of the wind turbines.

Zur Zeitumstellung der Uhren ist hier unser Video über die fossile Zeitumstellung im Rheinland.
Da sind die abgebauten Windräder nahe des Kohle-Tagebaus, für den #Lützerath weg soll. Brauchen wir nun jeden Strom im Winter oder nur den schmutzigen, mit dem RWE Rekordgewinne macht? pic.twitter.com/UQ4cOdmI7M

— Lützerath bleibt! #ZADRheinland (@LuetziBleibt) October 30, 2022

„In the current situation, all opportunities for the use of renewable energy must be exhausted as much as possible and existing turbines must be operated for as long as possible,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement, according to the Guardian.

However, the turbines in the wind farm were built more than 20 years ago and are much less powerful than the newer versions. In March, the court decided that the stipulated area and the right of decision belongs to the RWE energy company.

The coal mine enlargement coincides with plans to temporarily recommission RWE’s three lignite-fired power plant units back on the market, a decision approved by the German cabinet. The blocks were previously in a standby state.

The three lignite-fired units each have a capacity of 300 megawatts.

„By putting them into operation, they will contribute to strengthening the security of supply in Germany during the energy crisis, and to saving natural gas in electricity production,”

RWE communicated in September.

„Originally, plans called for the permanent shut down of the three affected reserve power plant units on 30 September 2022 and 30 September 2023,” RWE added.

In order to ensure the country’s energy supply, Germany decided that the stipulated power plants can continue to operate. As inflation is also being fuelled by skyrocketing energy prices, German Industrial Association (BDI) President Siegfried Russwurm, already in September called on the federal government to ensure cheap energy and increase the power supply, as V4NA had previously reported. As Russwurm said, referring to the operation of both nuclear and coal power plants, all available options must be utilised for this purpose. According to the association president, this affects businesses with smaller energy needs as well as those with higher needs, because if energy costs continue to rise, even the less energy-dependent companies may face serious problems.