RWE opens wind farm on reclaimed coal mine

German energy company RWE Innogy announced Monday it broke ground on the Konigshovener Hohe wind farm at the site of a reclaimed opencast mine.

The wind farm is situated on the Garzweiler opencast mine, a reclaimed coal mine of RWE's located near the western German town of Bedburg.

The German company said it planned the wind farm alongside city officials. It will consist of 21 turbines with a net operating capacity of 67 megawatts.

"Partnership models have an important role to play in our onshore activities," Hans Bunting, managing director of RWE Innogy, said in a statement. "Today’s start of construction is the result of many years of planning and close, trusting cooperation between the city of Bedburg, RWE and the partners in the region."

The city of Bedburg holds a 49 percent stake in the wind farm.

RWE said about half of the turbines planned for the the Konigshovener Hohe wind farm will be commissioned by the end of the year.

Germany aims to have the bulk of its energy supplied through renewable resources by 2050.