2.1 terawatt hours of wind energy

From 2010 to 2019, alpha ventus fed 2.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of power into the German grid. During this decade alpha ventus thus fed an annual average of 201 gigawatt hours of power into the grid, equivalent to the annual power consumption of approximately 57,000 average households (3,500 kWh) in Germany. Since the commissioning in April 2010 alpha ventus reached during five winter months more than 30 GWh: December 2011, January 2012, January and December 2015. The record-holding month is December 2011 with 36.738 GWh generated power (612 full load hours or 25.5 days of continuous energy production at maximum load).

alpha ventus - the first German offshore wind farm

alpha ventus was commissioned as the first German offshore wind farm in April 2010. The construction phase proper was a brief 12 months, a pioneering feat in a location with a water depth of about 30 metres and a distance from the coast of 60 kilometres.

Reflecting its role as offshore test site, alpha ventus operates two types of wind turbines with two different foundation designs. The rated output of the wind farm is 60 MW. Experience gained in construction and operation is an input into the further development and expansion of the German offshore wind power industry.

The alpha ventus offshore wind farm started as joint project of the utilities EWE, E.ON and Vattenfall. These three energy providers established the “Deutsche Offshore-Testfeld und Infrastructur GmbH & Co. KG” (DOTI) operator consortium specifically for this purpose in June 2006. In 2019, RWE acquired the renewable energy business of E.ON, includings E.ON's shares in alpha ventus. The shares distribution is: EWE 47.5%; RWE and Vattenfall each 26.25%.