Together with the Swiss start-up FlowGen, Niedersachsen Ports has installed the first container wind turbine in a German seaport in Emden.
The turbine’s output exceeded expectations on the very first weekend. It is expected to produce 45,000 kWh of renewable electricity per year.
The “mini power plant” combines wind power, photovoltaic and battery storage technology. It will also be able to charge cars. The plant is being tested in the port as part of the EU-funded Interreg project “REDIIPorts”. 60% of the costs are covered by the program.
“When you consider everything the system has to offer, it’s like the Swiss army knife of wind turbines,” says Thomas Tröster, Electrical Engineering Team Leader at Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts) in Emden. He and his team colleague Jens Kampen have been involved in the REDIIPorts project (“Renewable Energy Development and Intelligent Implementation in Ports”) from the very beginning. They have been looking into the possibility of generating sustainable electricity in the port of Emden for some time. Initially, they focused on small wind turbines, but the container wind turbine (WTG) developed by FlowGen offers more power.
“We have more than enough wind in Emden”
“We want to exploit technical possibilities that are cost-effective, easy to implement and still profitable,” says Kampen. “We have more than enough wind in Emden, which is why the container wind turbines are ideal. Even the weekend after the system was installed, its performance exceeded our expectations.”
Two wind turbines are positioned diagonally to each other on a standard container. The container is also equipped with PV systems, battery storage and car charging infrastructure. The rotor blades and the mast of the wind turbines are made of lightweight and robust composite materials. “What is special is that we were able to implement this project with comparatively little effort and low costs,” says Kampen.
Team leader Thomas Tröster explains: “Container wind turbines are small systems with a high yield. Over 45,000 kWh of electricity per year will be generated by the system. We can easily operate the main gate to the port and the associated premises as well as light the parking lot. We feed the rest into our grid.”
According to Holger Banik, Managing Director of Niedersachsen Ports GmbH & Co KG and JadeWeserPort Realisierungs GmbH & Co KG, it is important to have a holistic view of renewable energy options in order to make ports more climate-friendly, generate green electricity and reduce emissions. “Small-scale solutions are ideal for trying out ideas like these here,” he said. “We welcome all innovative solutions that move us forward at NPorts – whether small or large. The port of Emden offers favorable wind conditions and is ideally suited for this.”
Dirk Küster, CEO of the Swiss technology company FlowGen, is delighted about the collaboration with NPorts: “It is a great honor to install our Mobile Green Center at the Port of Emden,” he said. “We are convinced that this project will play a pioneering role in the sustainable energy supply of ports and other infrastructures. We are happy to contribute to this with our special solutions.”
