Energiequelle has begun construction of the Lüben Wind Farm in the district of Gifhorn in Lower Saxony (Germany). The project consists of five state-of-the-art Enercon E-138 turbines with a hub height of 160 meters. Each turbine has a capacity of 4.26 megawatts, and together they will generate around 77 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. This is enough to supply approximately 22,000 households with CO2-free electricity – an important contribution to the regional energy transition around the municipality of Wittingen.
Approval for the wind farm was granted in December 2024, followed by an award from the Federal Network Agency in the February tender for onshore wind energy. After completion of all preparations, construction of the access roads is now beginning. Commissioning is scheduled for the second and third quarters of 2027.
Lüben is already the second Energiequelle wind farm within a year in the municipality of Wittingen. The Teschendorf Wind Farm, located not far from Lüben, was commissioned last autumn.
Financial Participation for the Region
To involve the municipality and local residents in the project, Energiequelle is implementing several participation models. As already successfully introduced in Teschendorf, residents of Lüben will also be offered an annual electricity bonus of 200 euros, enabling them to benefit directly from the wind farm.
In addition, Energiequelle will provide the town of Wittingen with 0.2 cents per kilowatt-hour generated, in accordance with Section 6 of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). This corresponds to annual revenue of 154,000 euros. The new Lower Saxony Participation Act adds a further 0.1 cents per kilowatt-hour – generating an additional 77,000 euros annually.
Finally, landowners have agreed to contribute part of their lease income to a newly established association in order to support meaningful and beneficial local investments. As a result, the wind farm will not only contribute to sustainable energy supply but will also strengthen the local community.
Tina Hermerding, project leader at Energiequelle, is delighted by the willingness of landowners to contribute a share of their income for the benefit of the community, noting that this is far from a given. She is also pleased about the successful start of construction, as the project’s development phase was long and demanding: 'The regional planning process lasted more than ten years and required a great deal of patience. I am all the happier that we can now move into the implementation phase. My thanks go to everyone involved for their perseverance and constructive cooperation.'
The Lüben Wind Farm marks another important milestone for the regional energy transition while also setting an example for successful citizen participation.
Source: Energiequelle
