Many first-generation EEG turbines are in the years: Plants constructed between 2000 and 2005 are gradually reaching the end of their technical service life and are excluded from the funding. Between 2034 and 2037, plants with an installed capacity of more than 54 gigawatts are expected to exceed the age limit. This creates a significant need for replacement or repowering.

Old systems at existing locations will be replaced by modern, larger and significantly more powerful systems. The performance increases are three times higher or partially higher. At the same time, it does not start from zero. Repowering uses established wind sites and existing infrastructure. Particularly important are grid connections, which are among the scarcest resources of the energy transition in many regions.

New plants can use these connections more efficiently. They produce more reliably, have higher full-load hours and therefore enable more stable feed-in. In addition, it is now possible to build over grid connections. More generating power is installed than the grid connection can nominally absorb. This can be useful because wind or solar farms rarely feed in their maximum power. Higher reliability is also gaining in importance as power purchase agreements (PPAs) are increasingly replacing the former EEG feed-in tariffs. However, stable generation profiles are an important criterion for PPAs. 

Compared to greenfield projects, repowering has clear benefits: The locations are tried and tested, the wind conditions are known, the grid connection is already in place, the approval procedures are often less complex than for completely new projects and local political resistance can be less if the area was previously used for wind energy. Nevertheless, the design is not self-executing, construction and construction logistics remain challenging.

The focus is currently clearly on onshore wind. But repowering is also becoming more important for photovoltaics. Older modules, inverters and park concepts can increasingly be replaced by more powerful technology. Here, too, the aim is to make better use of existing locations and grid connections. However, repowering requires technical experience, precise project management and financing skills. In addition, a portfolio must not end up in a situation where too many investments are standing still at the same time. Repowering is therefore not just a replacement program, but an active asset management measure.

The old systems themselves also need to be treated professionally. A part is exported to third countries and continued to be operated there. At the same time, recycling has become commonplace. Steel, concrete, copper and other components are largely recyclable. Recycling of blades has long been more difficult, but industrial solutions are also increasingly being developed here.