Energy group RWE has announced the commissioning of its modernised Muel wind farm, located in the Aragon region near Zaragoza, Spain. Within eight months, the company dismantled 27 Nordtank turbines of 600 kilowatts (kW), in operation for 27 years, and replaced them with three Nordex N163/6.X turbines, increasing total installed capacity from 16.2 megawatts (MW) to 19.97 MW.
Production doubled with fewer units
Thanks to the installation of more powerful turbines, the estimated output of the site has increased from supplying 9,400 to 21,000 Spanish households, with no change to the grid connection point. This upgrade enables more efficient use of wind resources while reducing the material footprint of the facility. RWE has also secured a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the asset with an undisclosed offtaker.
Certified circular material management
The project received ZeroWaste certification from independent group Bureau Veritas, with 99.82% of materials from the old turbines recycled or reused. RenerCycle, a company specialising in circular solutions for dismantling wind infrastructure, managed the process. It led to the recovery of 1,825 tonnes of ferrous materials and the treatment of 81 blades, whose components such as resin and fibreglass will be repurposed across various industrial sectors.
European funding for a pilot operation
The repowering of the Muel wind farm received financial support from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, under the Recovery and Resilience Facility established by Regulation (EU) 2021/241. This funding, part of the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme, supports projects aimed at boosting renewable energy generation.
A changing Spanish market
In Spain, around 10 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind capacity will reach 25 years of operation in the coming years. This ageing fleet presents significant potential for repowering, offering improvements in energy efficiency and grid integration. The Muel project is part of a broader trend to modernise wind installations across the country.
