August 2025
Repowering: Elster Wind Farm Goes Live
LBBW is co-financing one of Europe's largest repowering projects and thus continues to drive the energy transition forward.
Elster wind farm: Sixfold Increase in Output through Repowering
LBBW is co-financing one of Europe's largest repowering projects and thus continues to drive the energy transition forward.
On 15 August 2025, VSB Group officially commissioned the fully repowered Elster wind farm. 16 state-of-the-art wind turbines with a total capacity of 105.6 megawatts replace 50 older units that had been in operation at the site since 2000.
The annual electricity output of the Elster wind farm has increased from 36 to an impressive 235 gigawatt hours - a six-fold increase in capacity, now supplying around 150,000 people with renewable energy. This reduces the area used by a third and cuts CO₂ emissions by an estimated 180,000 tons per year compared to fossil fuels.
Infrastructure financing in transition
From a financial perspective, the Elster wind farm also highlights the potential of repowered infrastructure projects. The project was financed with a total loan volume of EUR 211 million, of which EUR 175 million was provided as long-term debt with a maturity of around 20 years. LBBW and DZ BANK shared the financing and supported the VSB Group throughout the entire process.
"The repowering of the Elster wind farm demonstrates how tailor-made financing models can drive the further development of renewable energy. As a leading financier in this area, we are delighted to be able to support this pioneering project with our expertise as a lender and agent," says Jens Heil, Head of Sustainable Energy Finance at LBBW.
Repowering: forward-looking use of technology
The Elster wind farm is a compelling example of how exsisting sites can be made future-proof. The new turbines achieve an output of 6.6 MW each - eleven times the capacity of the previous installations. At the same time, the project has used innovative technology to reduce the area used at the site without limiting energy production.
"We have been supporting this site for over 25 years. With the repowering, we significantly reduce the resources required and create a future-proof infrastructure," explains Thomas Winkler, Managing Director of VSB Germany. Most of the old wind turbines have been reused or repurposed as a source of spare components.
Repowering: from a niche topic to a billion-euro market
Repowering is becoming a megatrend in the wind energy sector. By 2030, turbines with a total capacity of 18 GW in Germany will reach the end of their economic lifecycle and fall out of EEG subsidy schemes. This creates a significant investment requirement of up to 30 billion euros to upgrade or replace existing infrastructure.
Dr. Felix Grolman, CEO of the VSB Group, comments: "The Elster repowering project demonstrates how targeted investments in existing assets can stabilize energy supply and strengthen Europe as an industrial hub in the long term.”
A model of success for the energy transition
The Elster wind farm is an impressive example of how intelligent investments and pioneering technologies can drive the energy transition forward. Fewer turbines, more energy, an improved environmental footprint and the sustainable use of existing infrastructure make repowering a key strategy for transforming the energy sector.
Copyright Picture VSB Gruppe
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