Crossing the 500-Megawatt threshold: a new milestone for WEB Windenergie AG

Breaking the historic barrier confirms successful growth strategy

The message of success came from overseas in mid-November: all five plants at the Canadian W.E.B wind farm Albert/Wisokolamson in New Brunswick are generating clean energy. What is so special about that? The wind power pioneer from Austria’s Waldviertel region has finally broken the 500 MW plant capacity threshold. W.E.B crossed this threshold thanks to a total of 244 wind power plants, 25 photovoltaic power plants, and three small hydroelectric power plants at 102 sites in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Canada and the United States. Together these plants generate clean, regional energy for 820,000 people per year, thereby saving more than 860,000 tons of CO2 every year.

The year 2019 also marks a very special year in W.E.B history: the company celebrates 25 years of W.E.B and 20 years as a stock corporation. As part of the international growth strategy, W.E.B opened the doors to new offices at the company’s headquarters in Austria in order to ensure regional jobs, create new ones, and to strengthen the site itself. Now a striking performance indicator documents the greatest accomplishment in corporate history. The number of 500 MW confirms W.E.B’s path of success from a local start-up in Austria’s Waldviertel to an international energy transition player that works tirelessly towards a sustainable future in five countries on two continents.

Strong together

W.E.B CEO Frank Dumeier on this historic moment: “Growth with foresight – that is a fundamental ingredient in our recipe for success. Crossing the 500 MW barrier represents a milestone we can all be particularly proud. Nevertheless, this just but a stopover on our path towards a sustainable future, which we will substantially help to realize together with our employees, over 5,700 investors and all those who have been accompanying us for so long.”
„500 MW is a strong indicator. This wonderful accomplishment would not have been possible without our employees who are giving their best every single day to ensure the success of the energy transition. They are the ones I would like to thank wholeheartedly. Needless to say, we are not done yet. Considering our drive, spirit and great ambition, I firmly believe that we will see many more milestones in W.E.B’s corporate history,” as CFO Michael Trcka puts his joy into words.

Right framework conditions also in national demand

“The new government will face challenges like no other in order to successfully shape the fight against climate change in Austria. The time has come for a new green electricity act to provide the right framework conditions for renewable energy in accordance with current and future requirements,” Frank Dumeier explains his focus not only on international growth but also national climate protection goals.
Michael Trcka adds, “Today wind and solar power are cheaper than fossil energy. It’s just a matter of time until renewable energy will become the new and permanent standard. We already have the necessary technical and economic know-how. Now it’s the legislator’s move to define the speed of the transition to a sustainable energy system.”

Special partnership at the wind farm Albert/Wisokolamson

The “anniversary wind farm” adds another Canadian province to the list of W.E.B plant sites. The five wind turbines with a total capacity of 18 MW are located near Riverside-Albert in New Brunswick – a neighboring province of the other established W.E.B sites in Nova Scotia. The project partners are not the usual ones either: both project development and operation are a joint project with the Woodstock First Nation, an association of descendants of the Wulustukwiak, the indigenous people who traditionally inhabited southwestern New Brunswick. The project name is derived from the traditional language of the Woodstock, as “Wisokolamson” can be loosely translated as “the wind is blowing strongly”. The new project is not only dedicated to the production of clean energy but also to brilliant minds: W.E.B and the Woodstock First Nation award two scholarships per year to students enrolled in such study areas as renewable energy or similar fields for the entire operational life of the wind farm.

Aiming for further growth

Shaped by strategic foresight and visionary drive, the successful development history of W.E.B underlines the company’s claim to assume a leading position in the international energy transition and put their vision into practice. For this reason, W.E.B will keep focusing on its core markets and further intensify its growth strategy in the wind yet also photovoltaic power sector.