NeXtWind specialises in the repowering of wind turbines. What made you decide to go down this route instead of building new wind farms?
Werner Süss: The main reason is to increase efficiency and sustainability. By replacing old systems with new, more powerful turbines, we can significantly increase energy production without taking up additional space. In addition, existing sites are more acceptable to the population. It is a direct response to the urgent need to accelerate the energy transition while minimising the environmental impact.
With impressive financial power behind us, what are the next big goals for NeXtWind?
Lars Meyer: Our immediate goal is to expand our portfolio of wind farms and accelerate the repowering processes. In the medium term, we are aiming to provide three gigawatts of green energy. In the long term, we want to establish ourselves as a fully-fledged, independent energy supplier that exclusively supplies sustainable energy. This financing will enable us to aggressively drive forward our growth strategy and make a significant contribution to the energy transition.
How do you see the role of repowering in the context of the German energy transition and global efforts to achieve CO2 neutrality?
Ewald Woste: Repowering is key to accelerating the energy transition. By significantly increasing the efficiency of existing wind farms, we can reduce CO2 emissions more quickly and at the same time secure the energy supply. Germany has a pioneering role in the energy transition and repowering is an example of how we can optimise existing infrastructure in order to achieve our climate targets. It is a model that could also be applied internationally.
Given the strong competition, how is NeXtWind positioning itself to become a leader in the market?
Werner Süss: Our team brings a unique combination of experience in the energy industry, investment banking and local project work. This expertise, coupled with our clear vision and strong financial backing, enables us to act quickly and efficiently. We focus on repowering as quickly as possible, further optimising the sites and using our good networks and knowledge of the approval processes to give us an advantage.
Lars Meyer: NeXtWind is building the next generation energy infrastructure. We are driving the transition to a decarbonised, decentralised and digitalised energy system that meets the growing demand for clean electricity from energy-hungry applications such as AI and the electrification of mobility and the heating sector.
How do you deal with the challenge that many operators of older systems may want to repower themselves?
Lars Meyer: Of course there are operators who want to repower themselves, and that's a good thing. Our offer is primarily aimed at those who do not have the means, expertise or capacity to manage this process themselves. We offer a comprehensive solution that makes it possible not only to renew the systems, but also to operate them efficiently and profitably in the long term. Our aim is to form partnerships in which everyone involved benefits.
You have reached the 1 GW milestone ahead of schedule. What happens next?
Werner Suess: We originally wanted to reach the magical threshold of 1,000 megawatts of optimisation potential by 2026. The fact that we have now achieved this two years earlier is very encouraging. Innovations in the field of climate tech will play an increasingly important role. NeXtWind is not only a leader in the field of repowering, but also an overall leader in the optimisation of decentralised, climate-friendly energy infrastructure in Germany. We will continue to pursue our strategic direction with full vigour, consolidate our market position and continue to grow rapidly.
Ewald Woste: We are just getting started - our goal is to help shape the energy transition in the coming decades. We are aiming to triple our generation potential to 3,000 megawatts by 2028.