Wind turbines in the Baltic Sea off Rügen: Amazon, O2, Mercedes get electricity from MV at a bargain price

Bad Doberan/Sassnitz. 30 cents per kilowatt hour – probably more: Consumers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have been paying some of the highest electricity prices in Germany for years. For the "who's who" of German business, however, the situation is quite different: Car manufacturers, mobile network operators, and online retailers are experiencing a veritable rush for electricity from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. They are getting the energy at "ridiculous prices."
The most recent example is mobile phone giant O2, which will in future source a large portion of its electricity needs from a wind farm off the island of Rügen. This is good for the climate, but nevertheless unfair, say the Greens in the Schwerin state parliament. They are now demanding that the state's citizens also benefit more from the low prices for wind power.
The wind farms in the Baltic Sea off Rügen are particularly in demand among industry giants. Since July 1, for example, the "Baltic Eagle" offshore wind farm has been supplying 200,000 megawatt hours annually to power a large portion of O2's approximately 28,000 mobile phone sites.
O2 purchases the electricity directly from the "generator," the operator Iberdrola. Both parties have entered into a so-called Power Purchase Agreement: prices and energy volumes are fixed, and the contract runs for 15 years.

These companies buy electricity from our wind and solar parks
Source: Arno Zill
"Long-term electricity contracts protect us from fluctuations on the electricity exchanges," says O2 spokesperson Florian Streicher. In return, Iberdrola receives the assurance that the wind power will be purchased at a certain price.
O2 is by no means the only company that draws its electricity directly from the sea off Rügen: Iberdrola has been able to win over a whole series of companies for its “Baltic Eagle” and “Windanker” wind farms, which have a total of 71 wind turbines.
The most prominent names include the US online giant Amazon and the car manufacturer Mercedes, the steel manufacturers Dillinger and Salzgitter, and the building materials producers Schwenk and Holcim. The brake pads from TMD Friction in Leverkusen are also manufactured using energy from the Baltic Sea in Rügen.
Hannes Damm
Green energy expert
Another major German corporation also relies on MV electricity: Volkswagen purchases up to 170 gigawatt hours annually from the energy company RWE from one of Germany's largest solar parks in the communities of Tramm and Lewitzrand south of Schwerin.
While consumers pay around 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, the prices for new supply contracts for offshore wind power were just over six cents per kilowatt-hour. Even with taxes and duties, large corporations pay only about half as much per kilowatt-hour as a private household.
The Federal Network Agency is working to reduce electricity costs in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The aim is to distribute the costs of grid expansion more fairly. Therefore, grid fees will decrease significantly in 2025. For an average household with approximately 3,500 kilowatt hours of annual consumption, the annual cost will be up to €200 less in the Wemag grid area and just under €100 less in the Edis grid area.
Green Party energy expert Hannes Damm (33) is calling on the state government to do more to ensure that citizens also benefit from low prices: "We must structure public participation in new wind and solar parks in such a way that not only Amazon and Co., but also the people in the immediate vicinity of the plants get electricity at such low prices," he demands.
This article first appeared in the “OSTSEE-Zeitung” partner in the editorial network Germany
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