Best conditions for wind turbines on the Paderborn plateau
The Paderborn plateau, which rises steadily from around 100 to around 400 meters to the south and east, presents itself as a vast, sometimes barren and rugged landscape. In large areas, it is characterized by open plateaus into which the rivers and streams have cut deep. These extensive forest-free areas have a high wind power potential. This is further enhanced by a special geographical situation: the prevailing westerly winds are brought together in a funnel by the elevations of the Sauerland in the south and the slightly curved mountain range of the Teutoburg Forest in the north, thus increasing their power.
The Paderborn plateau is one of the regions with the highest density of wind turbines in Germany's inland. There are now more than 520 wind turbines in the Paderborn district. That is one seventh of all turbines in North Rhine-Westphalia. This means that more electricity is already being generated in the Paderborn region than is consumed. The political will and economic necessity to move away from fossil fuels and increase the use of renewable energies will lead to a further increase in the number of wind turbines on the Paderborn plateau in the coming years: According to the German Wind Energy Agency, approval had already been granted for 82 additional wind turbines at the beginning of 2024. In terms of installed wind energy capacity in relation to the district area, the Paderborn district is in third place in Germany with 910 kW per square kilometer behind the Dithmarschen district (1,575 kW/m2) and the Nordfriesland district (1,158 kW/m2).
In terms of absolute generated capacity, the Paderborn region is in 11th place with 1,247 MW per year. (For all figures: as at 31.12.2023)
In addition to the construction of new wind turbines, old ones are increasingly being dismantled and replaced by modern ones with a significantly higher output. These have a hub height of around 150 meters and a rotor diameter of more than 130 meters.
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