DB signs five-year renewable energy contract

German Rail (DB) has signed a five-year contract starting from 2024 for the supply of electricity from the Nordsee-Ost wind farm located off the northwest coast of Germany.

The contract, signed by DB subsidiary DB Energy, RWE subsidiary Innogy, and RWE Supply and Trading, is for 25MW, accounting for about 8% of the total capacity of the 48-turbine windfarm.

The contract is the first offshore corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in Germany. The electricity will be produced by the wind farm for a fixed price and supplied directly to DB, while RWE Supply & Trading will assume the role of contractor and sales partner.

DB is planning to fully convert its traction power to environmentally-friendly sources by 2038, with 57% of traction already “green,” and says it is continuing the switch to renewable sources as current fossil fuel-based contracts come to an end.

Innogy currently supplies DB with 900 million kWh of power a year from its hydro plants, a contract it has held since 2011. DB currently requires around 10 terawatt hours of electricity per year, the same amount as a city the size of Hamburg.

“In September, we will launch another Europe-wide tender for the long-term purchase of green electricity,” says DB Energy chairman, Mr Torsten Schein.

Source: railjournal.com