By 2030, Prokon eG aims to expand its generation capacities to feed around 2 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity into the grid each year – an ambitious goal that can only be achieved through the interplay of various political and economic factors. Last year, employees, members, and customers contributed in various areas of the cooperative to creating a solid foundation for the further cooperative expansion of renewable energies.
A direct increase in capacity within the Prokon Group was achieved last year through the addition of two new wind farms in Poland and Finland. The Rusiec II and Björkliden projects have a combined capacity of 58.9 MW and can now generate approximately 33 million plus 93 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This is enough to theoretically supply more than 6,700 plus 18,800 households with clean energy.
The cooperative's project progress in Germany is also impressive: In spring, construction began on the Friedersdorf (Brandenburg) project, which includes four wind turbines, three of which have already been commissioned. Additionally, last year, Prokon received BImSchG approvals for the projects Fleetmark III, Quarnstedt-Störkathen III, Sembten III, Horst IV, Nadrensee (all in Germany), as well as Kattiharju (Finland).
In the Prokon photovoltaic project in Walshausen, initial difficulties with the grid connection have been resolved, bringing commissioning ever closer.
In total, more than 400 MW of capacity is in advanced planning and implementation. Over the coming months and years, these projects will progressively expand the Prokon Group's generation capacity.
If more energy is produced in a region than is consumed at that time, generation is usually reduced to avoid overloading the power grid. Thanks to the flexibility of wind turbine control, they can be "regulated down" comparatively quickly in such moments. The result: during periods of high energy production, some wind energy remains unused because generation is temporarily halted. To counteract this "waste" of wind energy, Prokon eG, together with the Berlin-based company decarbon1ze, launched the "Wind Showers" project.
In 2024, Prokon participated in numerous events and even organised two wind farm festivals again. From regional citizen dialogues and specialist conferences to major industry trade fairs – Prokon was present as a discussion partner and innovator in wind energy.
Highlights include WindEnergy Hamburg, the Impact Festival in Frankfurt, the Wind Energy Days in Linstow, the Energy Tour Schleswig-Holstein (where we had the honour of being the host), the Heldenmarkt in Berlin and Stuttgart, the Green World Tour, and many more.
Additionally, in 2024, we launched a major advertising campaign to reach new members, customers, and potential employees for Prokon. We are focusing on strong partnerships and creative concepts. A particular highlight: our collaboration with singer and actor Oli.P, who visited Prokon and, in the format *"Oli wants to know"*, provides insights into the world of renewable energies.
Through all campaigns, events, advertising, and recommendations, Prokon eG was able to gain nearly 1,400 new members for the cooperative over the past year. Additionally, many members who were already engaged with the cooperative before 2024 have further expanded their commitment. This is a strong sign of trust in Prokon eG and support for shared goals! After all, only together with members and customers is it possible to implement and maintain further projects within Prokon’s portfolio.
In September, we comprehensively revamped our online presence – with a fresh design, more intuitive navigation, and our new top-level domain "prokon.energy". Since then, you can find even more information at a glance.
Our member portal has also received an upgrade: It now offers enhanced features for easy self-management. In addition to registering for events, you can update your personal details and access additional background information.
Our energy portal for electricity customers has also been optimised. It is now more modern, user-friendly, and perfectly adapted for mobile use. Typical tasks such as viewing documents, submitting meter readings, or adjusting payments can now be completed even more conveniently. Additionally, there is a new payment option: Since 2024, you can easily pay via SEPA direct debit – previously, only bank transfers were possible.
Our Prokon-Journal has also evolved: It is now available not only to members but also to energy customers, Prokon fans, project partners, service providers, and wind farm operators. The same applies to our email newsletters, which are now tailored specifically to different target groups – providing relevant added value for everyone.
In customer service, we have been able to consolidate our resources internally and restructure them: With the Prokon Dialogue Centre, we offer personalised service and direct support for members, as well as for customers. Our latest customer and member survey shows that we are on the right track: Nearly 90% of participants stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with our support.
From 2025, becoming a Prokon member will be even easier: Thanks to new legislation, cooperatives will be able to accept members digitally via an app or online form – completely without paperwork or digital signatures. This means a modern and straightforward approach to gaining new members, easier access to equity capital, and less bureaucracy and costs. We are already working on implementing this membership option for Prokon and will let you know as soon as it is available.
Our energy trading division is also evolving: In addition to supplying our household customers, we are working on new products – including offers for RLM customers (registered load measurement). Our goal is to create even more sustainable energy solutions for a wide range of requirements. A recent example of this is our newly established partnership with Genoverband, whose locations will be supplied directly with green electricity from our wind turbines. Such partnerships demonstrate how cooperative structures and sustainable energy solutions complement each other perfectly.
2025 will be a special year for us – we are celebrating an anniversary! As a cooperative, we will turn ten years old and, from that year onwards, will have a total of 30 years of experience in wind energy! On 24 May, we invite you to our anniversary event in Itzehoe, where we will look back on our milestones together and shape the future of Prokon. The day before, on 23 May, our General Assembly will take place – another highlight for all members. To mark the anniversary, we are also planning additional activities and will keep you informed step by step. The best thing you can do is mark the fixed dates in your calendar now. We look forward to meeting you there in person!
