The Paderborn district, known for its advanced use of renewable energy, is home to numerous wind farms that make a significant contribution to the regional electricity supply. One of the outstanding wind farms in the region is the Lichtenau/Asseln wind farm, once considered the largest inland wind farm in Europe. With an installed capacity of 87 megawatts, it covers the annual electricity consumption of around 50,000 households and is a symbol of climate protection in East Westphalia.
The Paderborn district now produces around 150% of its electricity needs from renewable sources, with wind energy accounting for around 80% of this. This not only enables the district to fully supply itself with electricity, but also to potentially use surpluses to produce green hydrogen. These advances not only encourage local adoption through citizen participation, but also help reduce CO2 emissions, which have been reduced by 39% since 1990.
The pioneering role in the use of wind energy is also reflected in innovative projects such as the integration of data centers directly into wind farms, which leads to CO2-neutral use and underlines the regional contribution to the energy transition.