German wind build starts in mining area

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ESSEN, Germany, June 6 (UPI) -- RWE Innogy announced it started construction of a wind farm in a lignite mining district in the west of Germany.

The company said two wind turbines with an installed capacity of 3.4 megawatts each would go into service in the next six months.

Officials in the district of Juchen said the launch of construction at the wind farm in the Rhine district of Neuss is a "clear signal" of the need for renewable energy in the area.

Lignite mining in the region covers an area of about 960 square miles along the western border of Germany. A subsidiary of RWE operates four mines in the area.

Germany gets more than 20 percent of its electricity from lignite power plants.

RWE Innogy said a similar wind project is under construction and should be completed by the end of summer.

"I am happy about the start of construction at Juchen," RWE Innogy's Chief Financial Officer Hans Bunting said in a statement. "This shows that the development of renewable energy in the Rhenish mining area is progressing as planned and is supported by all the parties involved."