ENERCON will supply wind turbine technology for another major project in Türkiye. For the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm in the northwest of the country, operator Polat Enerji has ordered 23 wind turbines of ENERCON’s new flagship model, the E-175 EP5 E2. The supply contract was signed on 27 April in Istanbul. With a total capacity of 161 MW, the wind farm is part of the YEKA 5 tender, for which Polat Enerji recently received the award from the Turkish Ministry of Energy.

“We have enjoyed a long-standing and close cooperation with Polat Enerji in the expansion of wind energy in Türkiye,” said Udo Bauer, CEO of ENERCON. “With ‘Balıkesir 1’, we will have jointly realised more than 1 gigawatt of installed capacity in Türkiye. We intend to continue this partnership for the energy transition together in the future. We are very pleased to implement the ‘Balıkesir 1’ project together using our new E-175 EP5 E2 turbine model.”

“Our journey began a quarter-century ago with an early and firm belief in Türkiye’s renewable energy potential,” said Evren Güvenç, CEO of Polat Enerji. “Today, Polat Enerji has evolved into a strategic player managing high-scale investments across Türkiye and Europe. The Balıkesir 1 project, secured through the YEKA tenders, is a testament to our continuous growth; for us, leadership is defined by more than just increasing installed capacity. We measure our progress not only by power output but by our optimisation capabilities and system flexibility. By leveraging our end-to-end expertise – from investment to operation – we are reinforcing our position as a pioneering actor shaping the transformation of the entire energy landscape.”

The E-175 EP5 E2 is ENERCON’s new top model. With a rated power of 7.0 MW and a rotor diameter of 175 metres, it is one of the most powerful onshore wind turbines in Europe in terms of energy yield. The E-175 EP5 E2 is also a central pillar of the company’s market strategy and forms the basis of the solution portfolio with which ENERCON supports its customers.

The supply agreement for the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm marks another milestone in the market launch of the E-175 EP5 E2 in Türkiye. The country is an important international strategic target market for ENERCON. To supply Turkish wind farm projects with the new E-175 EP5 E2, ENERCON will continue its proven localisation strategy with long-standing Turkish production partners and will also manufacture selected main components of the new top model in the country in the future.

“This allows us to meet the local content requirements of the Turkish tender system,” said Arif Günyar, Regional Head of the Central Asia / Middle East / Africa (CAMEA) region. “We are fully committed to the Turkish market and to the energy transition in Türkiye. We look forward to opening a new chapter of cooperation with Polat Enerji as well as with other Turkish customers and interested parties.”

Construction of the “Balıkesir 1” wind farm is scheduled to begin in September 2027, with commissioning expected by the end of December 2027. A total of 23 wind turbines will be installed on steel towers.

ENERCON is continuing the industrial ramp-up of its new flagship model, the E-175 EP5 E2, which the company says is seeing strong market demand. At its generator centre of excellence in Magdeburg-Rothensee, production is currently focused on increasing output of the generators for this platform. During a site visit by Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and Environment for Saxony-Anhalt, ENERCON COO Heiko Juritz said the company aims to steadily raise production volumes in order to ensure timely deliveries to wind farm construction sites.

From left: Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, ENERCON Generator Competence Center Managing Director Dr. Dirk Hofmann, and ENERCON COO Heiko Juritz.

During the tour, Juritz also called for stronger policy support, stating that climate and environmental protection can only be achieved if industry and government work together. He said ENERCON is already contributing to that shared effort, noting that production of the new E2 generators began in Magdeburg last November and that series production has been gradually increased since then, alongside an expansion of the centre of excellence.

Saxony-Anhalt Energy Minister Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann said ENERCON is not only a key player in Germany’s energy transition, but also an important employer in the state with around 1,000 employees. He added that more than 26,000 jobs in Saxony-Anhalt can currently be attributed to the renewable energy sector and said that further expansion of renewables supports energy independence, supply security, climate protection and the state’s economic position.

The E-175 EP5 E2 is described by ENERCON as its new top model. With a nominal power rating of 7.0 MW and a rotor diameter of 175 metres, it is presented as one of the highest-yielding onshore wind turbines in Europe. The company says the model is a central pillar of its market strategy and the basis of the product portfolio through which it supports customers. ENERCON also states that its connected solutions for the renewable energy ecosystem are designed to address the complex requirements of the next phase of the energy transition.

Factory visit in Magdeburg with Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann.

Juritz said that reliability will be essential if current positive developments are to continue and if further wind energy expansion is to be realised. According to him, the industry needs planning security, which requires policymakers to create the necessary framework conditions and further develop the Renewable Energy Sources Act accordingly.

At regional level, cooperation between ENERCON and policymakers is already ongoing. The company’s generator centre of excellence recently became a member of the Environmental Alliance for Saxony-Anhalt, an initiative launched by the state that brings together around 200 companies, associations and the regional government around environmental protection. During his visit, Minister Willingmann presented the membership certificate. Dr. Dirk Hofmann, Managing Director of the ENERCON generator centre of excellence, said the company is pleased to join the alliance and remains committed to improving environmental protection at its Magdeburg site through close communication and networking with political and business stakeholders.

ENERCON Introduces 120 m Hybrid Steel Tower as Project Enabler for E175 EP5 E2

ENERCON has developed a new 120-meter Hybrid Steel Tower (HST) for its flagship E175 EP5 E2 turbine, enabling project implementation in its home region of Germany.

The new tower variant is part of ENERCON’s flexible tower development strategy, designed to overcome height and distance restrictions that can limit standard turbine configurations.

Regional constraints required a tailored solution

In the Ostfriesland region, near ENERCON’s headquarters, turbines must comply with strict regulatory requirements. Due to German armed forces’ airspace surveillance regulations along the coast, maximum tip height may not exceed 218 meters above sea level.

Additionally, environmental protection rules require a minimum 30-meter distance between ground level and the lower blade tip position, otherwise turbines may face yield-reducing shutdown periods.

These requirements could not be met using standard tower options for the E175 EP5 E2. A project-specific tower design was therefore developed.

According to Moritz Rodenhausen, Head of Product Management, approximately 60 new turbines are planned for implementation in the region, ensuring a viable business case for both customers and the manufacturer.

Hybrid Steel Tower Configuration

The so-called “Ostfriesland Tower” is based on ENERCON’s hybrid steel tower concept, combining:

• Segments of the Modular Steel Tower (MST), made of bolted and bent steel plates

• Tubular Steel Tower (ST) sections

The tower features a hub height of 120 meters and allows the E175 EP5 E2 to precisely comply with military radar and environmental height restrictions in the region.

Certification Enables Broader European Deployment

The new HST tower is being certified according to IEC and DIBt standards. This certification will automatically meet regulatory requirements in multiple European markets, including:

• United Kingdom

• Italy

• Türkiye

• Baltic states

• Poland

• Romania

• Portugal

• Austria

• Netherlands

• Luxembourg

• Greece

• Ireland

According to ENERCON, the new tower variant will enable customers in various markets to deploy the E175 EP5 E2 model under similar regulatory constraints.

Engineering Flexibility as a Strategic Lever

Height and environmental constraints are increasingly shaping onshore wind development across Europe.

By adopting a flexible tower engineering approach, ENERCON moves beyond standardized product offerings and strengthens its role as a project-enabling technology partner in complex regulatory environments.