Wind Power Expanding across Europe
Axpo develops, builds, and operates onshore wind farms across Europe. We work across the entire wind energy value chain, from the development, construction and management of plants to the marketing of electricity they produce.
GW
planned capacity in Europe
wind farms
across Germany & France built
GW
already developed
Axpo benefits from the extensive experience of its subsidiary Volkswind Group, which has been part of Axpo since 2015. Our experienced team’s track record includes the development and construction of more than 90 wind farms in Germany and France. We have developed over 1,500 MW to date.
Axpo also has a 24.1 per cent interest in the Global Tech I offshore wind farm. One of the first to be built in the German North Sea, the development is known as a ‘far offshore wind farm’ due to its remote location 140 kilometres north of the port of Emden, where its logistics are based.
In Switzerland, we estimate the potential of wind energy to be high. Axpo builds and runs wind projects and aims to invest in and build more plants.
We provide expertise along the entire wind power value chain
An overview of wind power
Rated output is the full capacity of a wind turbine generator, measured in megawatts (MW). Wind turbines can reach their rated output value at various wind speeds.
Onshore wind turbines are located on land and generate wind energy from mainland wind.
Offshore wind turbines benefit from high wind speeds at sea and are located off coastal areas. Axpo holds interests in 80 turbines in the North Sea with a total capacity of 400 MW.
Wind turbines transform the power of wind into electrical energy and feed it into the power grid. A wind power plant comprises the following elements:
- Rotor blades: these convert the kinetic energy of air particles into rotation energy. Most wind energy rotors have three blades.
- Rotor: this relays the rotation energy to a generator which transforms it into electricity.
- Nacelle: housing the hub, brake gear and generator.
- Tower: supporting the nacelle and rotor blades, this must be able to withstand the enormous static load coming from the wind.
- Foundation: the tower is erected on a foundation. To ensure the stability of a wind energy plant, different constructions are sometimes required depending on conditions underground.
The wind farm is an arrangement of three or more wind turbines at one location.
