Next Kraftwerke markets Post-EEG wind power from Agrowea

Next Kraftwerke, one of Europe's largest operators of virtual power plants, and a wholy owned subsidiary of Shell plc, has signed a one year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Agrowea, the citizen-owned wind farm planning company, to offtake power from 14 wind farms in northern Germany with a total capacity of 175 megawatts (MW). Since January 1, 2026, Next Kraftwerke guarantees Agrowea a fixed price for electricity for an output of 145 MW. The aim is to continue the economic operation of wind turbines whose EEG subsidy period has expired.

The turbines will therefore no longer receive a guaranteed remuneration under the EEG and can continue to be operated profitably using a new PPA product from Next Kraftwerke specifically designed for post-EEG wind turbine. Next Kraftwerke has developed this PPA product specifically for Post-EEG wind turbines, combining state-of-the-art short-term trading with futures contracts on the electricity exchange and corporate PPAs.

35 MW of the 145 MW power flow via a Corporate PPA to the 10 MW REFHYNE electrolyzer at the Chemical Park Rheinland in Cologne-Wesseling, operated by Shell Energy Deutschland GmbH. In addition, Next Kraftwerke manages 30 MW of the total capacity, which continues to operate under the EEG subsidy regime.

A follow-up ticket for Post-EEG plants

“With this agreement, we are enabling Agrowea to continue their successful operations after EEG funding,” says Marc Rühs, CEO of Next Kraftwerke. “In addition to trading on the day-ahead, intraday, and balancing energy markets, Next Kraftwerke assumes the role of balance group manager. Our many years of expertise in short-term trading on the wholesale electricity exchange and in the balancing energy market make us a strong partner. We offer solutions for decarbonisation. With Shell Energy as a supplier and valuable link to the industry, we are able to manage risk in electricity procurement, make wind farms more flexible and help to stabilise the grid," Marc Rühs continues.

Next Kraftwerke and Agrowea see this agreement as a platform for further cooperation on both Post-EEG plants and upcoming Agrowea wind farm projects. “The collaboration with Next Kraftwerke clearly shows how new marketing models can contribute to the continued operation of wind farms. The PPA model is a good approach for the future orientation of our plants and can serve as a basis for further cooperation,” emphasizes Wilhelm Pieper, Managing Director of Agrowea.

About Agrowea

Agrowea is the leading wind energy producer in the Emsland region and has around 30 years of expertise with a total of more than 500 MW of installed generation capacity. In addition, Agrowea develops and operates storage solutions and mobility concepts and supports energy projects from planning to operation.

For more information about Agrowea visit www.agrowea.de

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