The energy in Cologne must be climate-neutral by 2035 – that is the task that RheinEnergie received from Cologne’s civil society, the city administration and politics. For this it is necessary to use all possibilities for the expansion of renewable energy and above all for the expansion of green heat sources. That means: In Cologne, too, all potential must be exploited.
The Chorweiler district could be the first to become climate-neutral
In order to achieve this order, RheinEnergie relies not only on the expansion of photovoltaics (generation of electricity from sunlight) but also on wind power. In a first step, the company tested the entire city of Cologne for suitability for wind turbines. A total of eleven locations in the entire city area come into question after this first examination. However, they must all be examined more closely for their suitability in the coming period.
This also applies to two areas in the Chorweiler district, which, according to the current legal situation, have the best chance of being approved. In addition, these are larger, contiguous areas on which several wind turbines can be erected. The district of Chorweiler could thus become the first district in Cologne in which all households can be supplied with climate-neutral energy from their own district. Further investigations are also required for the locations in the north of Cologne.
“The climate protection goals that we have set ourselves with civil society, Cologne’s politics and administration are very demanding but achievable. We are not limiting ourselves to individual districts or to specific technology. Whether it’s wind power in the north of Cologne, solar thermal energy in Merheim or solar parks on the Autobahn, our maxim is: Every kilowatt hour that we can generate from renewable sources counts,” says RheinEnergie CEO Andreas Feicht.
Information event for the citizens
RheinEnergie presented its test results at an information event for the citizens of Chorweiler and for all interested parties. At the open event, those interested could find out more about the many facets of wind power on display boards and get specific information about possible locations in the north of Cologne.
Experts from RheinEnergie and the Coordination Office for Climate Protection of the City of Cologne were available to answer questions.
“We are very pleased about the keen interest in our feasibility studies in the district. It is very important to us to inform the citizens of Chorweiler at an early stage and to enter into dialogue with them before the plans become concrete,” says Ulrich Bemmann, Head of the Renewable Energies department at RheinEnergie.
The event was the beginning of a series of communication events at which RheinEnergie will inform people in Cologne about the progress of further project development.
