RWE’s Amrumbank West Offshore Wind Farm to Provide Key Grid Stabilisation Services Starting 2025

(IN BRIEF) RWE has successfully integrated its Amrumbank West offshore wind farm into the German power grid, where it will provide 60 MW of secondary reserve to help stabilise the grid. This marks the first time RWE has offered grid stabilisation services from its offshore wind farms. The wind farm, located in the North Sea, will be able to reduce output within five minutes, a crucial function to maintain grid frequency at 50 Hertz. Starting in the first quarter of 2025, RWE will market this service through daily balancing energy auctions. This new role expands RWE’s already established experience in providing balancing reserves from other energy sources and is part of their broader strategy to include wind energy in grid stabilisation efforts.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESSEN, 8-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — RWE has announced that its Amrumbank West offshore wind farm will become the company’s first site to provide system-stabilising services to the German power grid, starting in early 2025. This milestone sees RWE joining the ranks of energy providers offering secondary reserves, also known as automatic frequency restoration reserves, to help maintain grid stability. The transmission system operator, TenneT, recently granted RWE pre-qualification for a capacity of 60 megawatts (MW) for this service.

The secondary reserve plays a vital role in ensuring the grid frequency remains stable at 50 Hertz, preventing power disruptions. In response to grid imbalances, the wind farm can reduce its output by up to 60 MW within five minutes, fulfilling the criteria required to participate in secondary reserve auctions. This capability will not only enhance the supply of green energy to the grid but also contribute directly to its stability.

Amrumbank West, located 37 kilometers off the German North Sea coast, consists of 80 turbines with a total capacity of 302 MW. Starting in the first quarter of 2025, RWE will market this reserve capacity through daily balancing energy auctions. The inclusion of offshore wind power into grid stabilisation marks a significant development in RWE’s efforts to integrate renewable energy into system services.

RWE brings years of experience in marketing balancing reserves from various energy sources, including pumped storage, gas-fired plants, and batteries. With the addition of wind energy, the company is broadening its scope in providing balancing reserves, which are compensated by the transmission system operator for both their provision and actual supply.

Alongside Amrumbank West, RWE Supply & Trading plans to expand the offering of balancing reserves from other RWE wind and solar farms, while also extending the service to external clients. This new revenue stream offers renewable energy operators a fresh opportunity to capitalise on their assets.

Transmission system operators have adjusted their requirements for wind farms to meet the precision needed for secondary reserve participation. Wind turbines, like those at Amrumbank West, must be capable of quickly reducing output in response to changes in wind speed. This requires advanced control systems, capable of rapidly adjusting rotor blade positions to align with grid demands. RWE has developed a highly automated and scalable infrastructure, including control technology from its partner, Generac Energy Services, to meet these challenges.

RWE Supply & Trading GmbH
RWE Supply & Trading is the interface between RWE and the energy markets around the world. Over 2,000 employees from around 90 different countries trade electricity, gas, commodities, and CO2 emission allowances. Accurate market analyses and a high degree of customer centricity enable them to create innovative energy supply solutions as well as risk management concepts for industrial operations. The trading entity also ensures the commercial optimisation of RWE’s power plant dispatch and markets electricity from RWE. In addition, there are legally independent RWE gas storage companies in Germany under the umbrella of RWE
Supply & Trading.

German General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The personal data processed in connection with the press releases will be processed in compliance with the legal data protection requirements. If you are not interested in continuing to receive the press release, please inform us at datenschutzkommunikation@rwe.com. Your data will then be deleted, and you will not receive any further press releases from us in this regard. If you have any questions about our data protection policy or the exercise of your rights under the GDPR, please contact
datenschutz@rwe.com.

Media Contact:

Regina Wolter
Media Relations
RWE Supply & Trading GmbH
Tel: +49 201 5179-5024
Mob: +49 152 06855300
Email: regina.wolter@rwe.com

SOURCE: RWE