Organizations and studies demand a substantially larger energy supply - Agency's Involvement in Project's Progression
In the heart of Germany, Hesse is witnessing a significant shift in its energy landscape, with large companies and research institutions increasingly turning to renewable energy sources and implementing efficiency measures to meet their growing electricity demand.
Frankfurt Airport, the region's largest consumer of electricity, is gearing up for the commissioning of Terminal 3 and an increase in air traffic. In 2024, the airport's electricity demand stood at 539 million kWh, a figure expected to rise in the coming year. The airport operator, Fraport, consumed a similar amount, with a contract with a wind power operator set to provide 370 million kWh of green electricity in the coming year.
One of the key renewable sources powering Hesse is wind energy. Wind power contributes over 25% of Germany’s electricity, with significant installed capacity both onshore and offshore, and plans to expand further by 2030 and 2045. Companies like ABO Energy KGaA, based in Wiesbaden, are at the forefront of this expansion, developing wind, solar, battery, and hydrogen projects.
Solar energy is another crucial player in Hesse's renewable energy mix. Local electrical engineering and solar power firms, such as Henrich Elektroanlagen GmbH & Co. KG, contribute technical expertise and installation services for renewable systems, reflecting the growing market for energy-efficient installations in the region.
Operators of renewable assets, such as Energiekontor AG, implement efficiency and lifetime extension measures on existing wind farms to maintain economic operation post-subsidy periods, thereby increasing overall energy efficiency and output from renewable plants.
Companies in Hesse and the broader region also adopt advanced electrical systems, KNX smart building technologies, and refrigeration improvements to reduce consumption while accommodating higher electricity demand.
A notable contributor to Hesse's renewable energy landscape is Merck, a pharmaceutical and technology company. The company consumes 150 million kWh of electricity at its site in Darmstadt, Hessen, with around 70% of its required electricity generated on site. Merck has been practicing systematic energy saving for around 20 years and is certified according to the ISO 50001 standard.
Industry and commerce, trade, and services, including data centers, account for 42% of Hessen's electricity consumption. Notable examples include the fertilizer and salt company K+S, which consumed a total of 11.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2024, with 8.9 billion kWh coming from natural gas for heat generation. Despite this, K+S managed to reduce its energy costs from 341 million euros in the last year, down from around 455 million in the previous year.
The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt is another significant consumer of electricity, with around 57 million kilowatt-hours consumed in 2024, all of which came from renewable energy sources. A much larger accelerator is currently being built on the site, which will consume significantly more electricity in the future.
The growth in urban and industrial centers around Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main metropolitan area in Hesse coincides with high purchasing power and investment capacity, which supports infrastructure expansion in renewables and energy efficiency. This growth is in line with Germany’s federal government's aim to expand offshore wind capacity to 30 GW by 2030 and 70 GW by 2045, supporting a broader strategy to reduce dependence on energy imports and increase renewable share.
In summary, the increasing electricity demand from large companies and research institutions in Hesse is being met by a combination of expanding renewable energy capacity—especially wind and solar—along with sophisticated efficiency and lifetime extension measures. These efforts align with national and regional renewable energy targets and leverage local technical expertise and market growth in installation and energy services.
Read also:
- Boosting Resilience and Sustainable Energy Adoption: Pioneering Approaches to Microgrid Technology Integration
- Enercity partners with Enercon to set up 100 additional wind turbines
- Enercity constructs a hundred innovative wind power generators in partnership with Enercon
- Wind Energy Durability: Truths and Statistics
