Mercedes-Benz plans to build a wind farm at its test track in Papenburg, northern Germany, with an output of more than 100 MW to cover more than 15 percent of the annual electricity demand of Mercedes-Benz Group AG in Germany.
“As part of its effort to erect a double-digit number of wind turbines by the middle of the decade, Mercedes-Benz is also planning a long-term power purchase agreement with a partner, equivalent to a triple-digit million euros amount,” a release shows.
The project plans and an ecological impact review will be carried out in close coordination with the local authorities and stakeholders. The approximately 800-hectare site has been an integral part of the company’s research and development activities since 1998.
Mercedes-Benz is pursuing the goal of covering more than 70 percent of the energy demand in production with renewable energies by 2030. The company is focusing on the expansion of solar and wind energy at its own locations and by concluding further corresponding power purchase agreements.
The company’s goal is to at least halve CO2 emissions per passenger car over the entire life cycle by the end of this decade compared to 2020. The most important levers for this are the electrification of the vehicle fleet, charging with green electricity, the improvement of battery technology and the comprehensive use of recycled materials and renewable energies in production.
