RWE has commissioned a 22.8 MW onshore wind farm near Papenhagen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, adding four new turbines to its growing German renewables portfolio.
The project comprises four 5.7 MW turbines in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, near Grimmen. Construction began in April 2025, with the coastal location providing favourable wind conditions.
A fifth turbine erected nearby by RWE on behalf of a project partner is also now operating.
The commissioning adds to RWE’s German onshore wind fleet, which has a combined capacity of 791 MW. The company is continuing to look for sites across Germany for additional wind, solar and battery storage projects as electricity demand increases.
Sopna Sury, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, said the area around Papenhagen offered “excellent wind conditions – ideal prerequisites for this wind farm”.
The project also includes a direct financial benefit for neighbouring municipalities. RWE will share €0.002 per kilowatt-hour generated with surrounding communities, with payments expected to reach up to €130,000 a year.
The arrangement reflects a growing focus in Germany on ensuring communities hosting renewable infrastructure receive a tangible economic return from development.
For RWE, the project is another relatively small addition to a much larger expansion programme, but illustrates the continued role of onshore wind in Germany’s power mix. Unlike offshore developments, onshore projects can generally be constructed with shorter development and build cycles, while benefiting from established turbine technology.
RWE describes onshore wind as a cost-effective and established source of renewable generation and says it is maintaining a nationwide presence to identify further opportunities.
With German electricity demand expected to rise through electrification of transport, heating and industry, projects such as Papenhagen add incremental generation capacity while demonstrating how renewable development can be combined with local financial participation.
