Joint venture to boost renewables at Hamburg

The joint venture will see a new company, Erneuerbare Hafenenergie Hamburg, established this spring.

“We are committed to forward-looking and innovative technologies,” said Friedrich Stuhrmann, managing director of HPA. “Having intensively promoted shore-side power supply in recent years, we would also like to play an active role in the expansion of renewable energy generation in the port area.”

“The energy transition requires considerable investment, but it also offers many opportunities that we want to utilise intelligently.”

As a first step, feasibility studies will be conducted to harness around 70 megawatts, with later expansion also being examined.

HEnW has already erected six turbines in the harbour – unique in Germany and uncommon across the rest of Europe – and is now focused on the expansion of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems.

“Erecting wind turbines in the harbour is no trivial matter, as the approval requirements there are much stricter than on greenfield sites,” said Michael Prinz, managing director of HEnW.

“In addition to nature conservation concerns and air traffic, special operating conditions must also be taken into account to ensure that the wind turbines fit in smoothly with the local infrastructure and the operations of the companies based there.”

HEnW will operate the new solar and wind power plants once they are up and running.