The three wind turbines on the ArcelorMittal site in operation; Credit: HAMBURG ENERGIE / Ulrich Mertens

Hamburg Energie, the city's municipal green electricity supplier, in partnership with ArcelorMittal Hamburg, has set up three new wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3 MW, on the steelmaker's site; the turbines, connected to the grid, increase the amount of renewable energy Hamburg generates and consolidates its position as Germany's wind capital.

The three wind turbines tower about 180 metres into the sky, the height of an average 54 storey building. With an equally impressive rotor diameter of about 117 meters, each one harvests more than 10,700 square metres of wind - that's about one and a half football fields. The three plants produce a good 23 GWh a year, which would meet the electricity requirements of more than 8,000 households.

By successfully implementing this project, Hamburg Energie has not only increased the production of clean electricity in a densely populated urban area, it has also overcome the logistical challenges of building such huge structures on land shared with a functioning steelworks. Another major consideration was ensuring the structures meet all the required safety regulations. Nordex, the turbines' manufacturer, took care of all of this, developing complex fire protection systems, as well as installing cameras to enable visual inspections, and built-in ice sensors. They even added special canopies to ensure the safety of the plant and its employees. All of this means the three wind turbines are tailored exactly to the place they stand and offer a combination of features that is so far unique in onshore installations.

Lutz Bandusch, CEO of ArcelorMittal Europe, long products, bars and rods said "With the installation of the three wind turbines, ArcelorMittal is making another contribution to sustainable steel production in Hamburg. We are already a particularly environmentally friendly and energy-efficient steel manufacturer with a direct reduction plant. We continue to drive forward investments in the future. As an industrial company, we are also involved in the new district heating project to supply the city of Hamburg."

Michael Prinz, Managing Director of HAMBURG ENERGIE GmbH said "Our priority and our mission is to advance the energy transition in the north - and especially here in Hamburg. This can also be implemented in tight, urban spaces, as HAMBURG ENERGIE shows again with this project. We need flexible, individual solutions to the challenges of each location; then even industrial areas with sensitive operating facilities are suitable as wind farms. To implement it, dedicated partners are needed, who contribute to the success with a lot of experience and know-how - my special thanks go to them. In the meantime, HAMBURG ENERGIE can produce a large part of its own electricity demand in its own regenerative plants, which our customer households need. This is a proud record and an important contribution to the climate protection goals of the city of Hamburg. "

Olaf Scholz, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg said "These three new wind turbines are proof that Hamburg and its entrepreneurs actively support the expansion of renewable energies, even in the heart of the port, and make it their business. The fact that ArcelorMittal as the world's largest producer of steel has made this project possible is another clear signal. To place the principle of renewable energy in such a central industrial area is a forward-looking connection."

Environment Senator Jens Kerstan said "I am delighted that with the three new wind turbines at ArcelorMittal, 65 wind turbines are now producing almost 115 megawatts of renewable energy in our city. That would be enough to supply 100,000 households with electricity. Here, the energy feeds the company's own network and relieves the energy-intensive nature of a steelworks. It is a good, real step on the way to energy transition. The project is proving successful, which is possible even on difficult terrain for wind turbines, especially here in the port, when applicants, neighbouring companies and the licensing authority all pull together. "

Jean Graff, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg said "Based in Luxembourg, the ArcelorMittal group, today the world's leading steelmaker, shows that it fully meets the demands of digitisation by producing innovative products. Furthermore, the group confirms that it makes its contribution to achieving climate protection goals both with wire rod from Hamburg or steel for wind turbines, but also with climate-friendly and energy-efficient production processes - such as the use of electricity from wind power. The fact that ArcelorMittal is doing this in both the German and Luxembourg production sites underlines the shared pioneering role."