Mercedes-Benz plans for installing a wind farm at its test track in Papenburg, northern Germany and has signed a long-term contract with the German energy park developer UKA (Umweltgerechte Kraftanlagen GmbH & Co. KG).
From 2026 - depending on the official approvals - around 20 wind turbines with a capacity of more than 120 MW are to be built on the site as part of a power purchase agreement (PPA) in the three-digit million range. The planned wind farm will cover around 20 percent of the annual electricity requirements of Mercedes-Benz Group AG in Germany. The installation of photovoltaic systems on the test track is also being examined. The approval process for the wind farm already started. Subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, construction of the wind turbines the wind farm could become operational in 2026.
Mercedes-Benz is proud to be making an important contribution to the expansion of wind energy in Germany with the new wind farm in Papenburg. 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.
The approximately 800-hectare Papenburg test track has been an integral part of the company's research and development activities since 1998. With this project, Mercedes-Benz is expanding its green power portfolio in the medium term and at the same time actively supporting the expansion of onshore wind energy in Germany. The planning for the implementation of the wind farm project by UKA and the ecologically sustainable use of the area was being carried out in close collaboration with the relevant local authorities and local stakeholders.
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. We all benefit from affordable, clean electricity produced independently in Germany.
The goal of Mercedes-Benz is to reduce CO₂ emissions per passenger car in the new vehicle fleet up to 50 percent along all stages of the value chain by the end of this decade, compared to 2020. The most important factors for this are electrification of the new vehicle fleet, vehicle charging with green electricity, improving battery technology and extensive use of recycled materials and renewable energies in production. Since 2022, the worldwide production plants owned by Mercedes-Benz achieved net carbon-neutrality. The company intends to increase the share of renewable energies in the total energy consumption of its own production locations to more than 70 percent (cars) respectively 80 percent (vans) by 2030 by rolling out solar and wind power at own sites as well as through further power purchase agreements.
To this end, Mercedes-Benz is focusing on the expansion of photovoltaic systems at its own locations: Up to 140 megawatts peak (MWp) are to be installed by 2025Another focus of the company's energy strategy is the expansion of the energy portfolio to include wind energy from onshore and offshore wind farms. The goal for all Mercedes-Benz production plants worldwide is to operate wholly with renewable energies and no CO₂ emissions by 2039.
This article was last updated in May 2024.
