Season 1 episode 1 - Repowering the Renewables

[Berlin]

Thomas Winkler, Managing Director: Germany is Europe's biggest producer of renewable energy, which is a real source of national pride. Germany has a very ambitious goal to reach at least 80% of electricity from renewables within the next four years. This is a higher and faster target than most of the other countries. Our country has already closed all its nuclear power stations and renewable energy currently accounts for around 60% of electricity production. But it's a long way to go.

[Germany's Goal: of 80% renewable energy by 2030]

Thomas Winkler: For 30 years, VSB has been developing renewable energy projects across Germany and Europe. We understand the challenges ahead and the importance of having strong partnerships, to make this renewable energy future into our reality.

[Energy Horizon: repowering the renewables]

Thomas Winkler: You know Antoine, on days like that where it’s freesing cold with -11 degrees here, the energy demand in Germany is super high and to power a country like Germany 24/7.

Antoine Becker, Managing Director, Offshore Wind Germany: Yeah it requires very complex solutions, very complex systems, right? Germany is the largest energy consumer in Europe and has a very ambitious renewable strategy. To achieve this, we need not only renewable energy but also flexible assets like batteries and gas power stations. For when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine. TotalEnergies acquired VSB in 2025. Together with TotalEnergies’s investment^* and VSB’s infrastructure we can operate across the entire value chain. This strengthens our renewable power position in Germany and helps accelerate the country's energy transition. It's a win win.

Thomas Winkler: You know, VSB is very successful in developing renewable energy projects all over Europe but more projects doesn't always mean expansion. Repowering, which means to replace old and outdated tech with newer technology is one of the major priorities for us.

Antoine Becker: Allowing us to do more with less.

Thomas Winkler: Indeed. And you know Elster, is a great example for these kinds of projects.

[Elster, Germany]

Max Krjukow, Construction Manager: Elster was buit 25 years ago and back then it was one of the largest wind farms in Germany. After 25 years, the lifespan of the old turbines has come to an end and now they need to be replaced. Deconstructing 100 meter tall turbines is a big challenge. When I started in VSB 20 years ago, we had just finished to build 57 turbines here in Elster but I can see a lot has changed.

Antoine Becker: Yes, a lot has changed. We removed 50 of the old turbines and replaced them with 18 new ones. So we reduce the area of the land by having larger turbines and produce a lot more energy. f you compare the new turbines to the old ones, they are 2.5 times the height, that means it can capture more wind and create more power.

[6x more energy - 70% less turbines - Rotor diamter: 155 m - Old rotor diameter: 70 m - Repowering Elster: has achieved a 90% recycle rate]

Max Krjukow: Another big part of the repowering process is recycling. The polymers from the rotor blades have been used in pavement for road building and for the production of large furniture for urban spaces. Minimizing the environmental impact has been very important. We analyzed the bird flight patterns and built the insights into a GPS based safety system. So when a tractor approaches the turbine the system automatically shuts the turbine down and that supports safer conditions for the birds while allowing farming to continue effectively.

Antoine Becker: My grandfather, Jean-Marc Noel, was one of the French pioneers in wind turbine design. He passed me his passion for electricity production and electricity usages. My job is managing and developing major offshore wind projects in Germany. The offshore turbines that TotalEnergies currently plans to install, are about as high as the Eiffel Tower. And are able to produce even more power since wind is stronger and more stable at sea. These projects could power up to 7 million homes each year. It's projects like these that could help Germany realize its vision for a renewable energy future.

[By 2030, TotalEnergies aims to produce 100+ Twh of electricity globally every year.]

^*TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies (oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity) and is staying the course of its transition strategy. Learn more on totalenergies.com/energy-transition.

[TotalEnergies logo]