Port of Emden gets its first container wind turbine

February 17, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts), the operator of state-owned ports in Lower Saxony, Germany, has unveiled the first container wind turbine to be operated in the Port of Emden.

The system was installed earlier this month and is located at the main gate in the Port of Emden, on the road to the Emspier.

The system, which offers wind power, photovoltaics, battery storage and car charging in one solution, is being tested in the port as part of an EU-funded INTERREG project REDIIPorts.

The project has been implemented in cooperation with the Swiss startup FlowGen.

“When you consider everything the system offers, it is like the Swiss Army knife of wind turbines,” Thomas Tröster, Team Leader for Electrical Engineering at Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts) in Emden, explained.

He and his team colleague Jens Kampen have been involved in the Renewable Energy Development and Intelligent Implementation in Ports (REDIIPorts) project from the beginning. How to generate electricity in the Port of Emden in a sustainable way has long been a topic for the two of them.

After focusing on micro wind turbines, they realized that there is more to it. A container wind turbine promises more power.

“We want to exploit technical possibilities that are cost-effective, easy to implement and still profitable. We have more than enough wind in Emden, which is why the container wind turbines are ideal. The weekend after the system was installed, its performance exceeded our expectations,” Jens Kampen said.

Two wind turbines are positioned to stand diagonally to each other on a standard container. The container is also equipped with PV systems, battery storage and car charging infrastructure. The rotor blades and the mast of the wind turbines are made of light and robust composite materials.

“What is special is that we were able to implement this project with comparatively less effort and low costs,” Kampen continued.

“Container wind turbines are small systems with high yields. The system is designed to generate over 45,000 kWh of electricity per year. This means we can easily operate the main gate to the port and the associated premises, as well as light the car park. We feed the rest into our grid,” Tröster further said.

In order to make ports more climate-friendly, generate green electricity and save emissions, it is important to have a holistic view of renewable energy options, as per Holger Banik, Managing Director of Niedersachsen Ports and JadeWeserPort Realisierungs.

“Small-format solutions are ideal for trying out ideas like this one. At NPorts, we welcome all innovative solutions that move us forward – whether small or large. The port of Emden offers favorable wind conditions and is ideally suited for this.”