Yesterday, the 7th of September, RWE had inaugurated new turbines for the Epine-MarieMadeleine wind farm in the Aisne region in France. The project was developed by RWE in consultation with local representatives, residents and other stakeholders, and was authorised by the prefecture in 2018. Construction began in November 2021, culminating with the installation of seven wind turbines: three in Montigny-le-Franc, two in Tavaux-et-Pontséricourt and two in Agnicourt-et-Séchelles.The new turbines, four of them with an output of a 3 MW and three with an output of 3.6 MW, have been feeding power into the grid since December 2022, supplying around 12,800 households with green electricity. These turbines differ in height: four of them are 164.9 metres high, while the other three measure 171.9 metres. The purpose of using different heights is to integrate the wind farm into the surrounding area – the idea being to place the nacelles at a similar height, thus compensating for the differences in ground elevation.
Katja Wünschel, Chief Executive Officer at RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “The inauguration of these new turbines for the Epine-Marie-Madeleine wind farm is a perfect illustration of RWE's vision of energy transition: a territorial strategy based on our dialogue with local communities for the benefit of their living environment. At l'Epine Marie-Madeleine, we have renovated the square around the churches and we plan to plant trees in several locations. This is an energy transition that benefits everyone.”
RWE to offer reduced electricity bills for residents
To celebrate this inauguration, RWE and its partner Energie d'Ici are extending their electricity bill discount in the three communes where the new project is located: Montigny-le-Franc, Tavaux-et-Pontséricourt and Agnicourt-et-Séchelles. This offer will be available to all private households and small businesses on request. This confirms RWE's commitment to sharing the value of renewable energies with local residents and offering them cheaper green energy.
Local integration is an essential element for a successful wind project
RWE’s commitment to an open dialogue is at the core of the development of this wind farm extension. The company also systematically promotes the local integration of its wind farms by working with local and regional companies wherever possible. For this project, RWE has been taking every possible measure to avoid, reduce or compensate for any potential impact on biodiversity as well as daily life in the community. On this note, the market squares around the churches of Agnicourt-et-Séchelles have been renovated. Other measures are to be implemented as well. For instance, RWE is planning to plant trees in several locations: the city centre of Tavaux-et-Pontséricourt, the main street of Agnicourt, and the eastern entrance of the Séchelles village. There are also plans to replace part of Agnicourt’s street lighting with low-energy LEDs. In addition, an ecologist is monitoring the impact of the development on the local flora and fauna, particularly birds.
Pictures for media use (credit: RWE) are available at the RWE Media Centre
