Vienna, May 16, 2023

Anyone who believes that wind energy can only be generated on wide, flat fields is mistaken. This is proven by the Berlin start-up MOVEAIR, which, together with ASFiNAG, has installed off-grid micro wind turbines on the pillars of the Europabrücke bridge in Tyrol at a height of 140 meters. From now on, eight wind turbines will generate around 6,000 kWh of energy per year - saving around 2,016 tons of CO₂ annually. This means that electricity can be produced around the clock using wind power, while emissions are reduced. "The implementation does not require any additional infrastructure or even soil sealing and the wind turbines can be elegantly integrated visually," explains Till Naumann, CEO of MOVEAIR GmbH.

A new wind has been blowing on the Europabrücke since May 16

The "Wind for the Europe Bridge" project was initiated as part of the "Verbund X Accelerator" program and funded by the Renewable Energy Solutions program (RES program) of the Energy Export Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). The MOVEAIR small wind turbine was officially inaugurated on May 16, 2023 with the participation of invited guests from politics and business. In addition to the warm welcome from ASFiNAG and the MOVEAIR representatives, the speaker for economy, press and culture as well as the EU representative of the German Embassy in Vienna and the German Honorary Consul in Tyrol gave further exciting speeches. The German Energy Agency (dena), which is supporting MOVEAIR's market entry in Austria as part of the RES program, also warmly welcomed the guests.

Own wind power for industry based on the Lego principle

The TU Berlin spin-off pursues the approach of making the production of wind power accessible to "everyone": Whereas for a long time this was limited to rural areas and rather flat regions in the form of immense wind turbines, Climate Tech wants to enable and promote the production of wind energy in urban areas too. The wind turbine system is particularly suitable for companies with tall buildings or applications at lofty heights. "Thanks to the modular principle, the number of turbines can be varied according to individual requirements and the system can be controlled effectively and smartly from a distance using plug-and-play," explains Naumann. MOVEAIR supports its partners throughout the entire process, from planning and configuration to installation together with regional partners. Depending on the location and structural conditions, the wind turbines can also be combined with solar systems to achieve maximum efficient, environmentally friendly performance.

SÜBA AG generates construction site electricity itself

The property developer SÜBA AG, another well-known partner in Austria, is already relying on MOVEAIR's modular wind energy system for the residential construction project "Das Koloman" in Stockerau, Lower Austria, the largest city in the Weinviertel region. In this construction project, 190 family apartments with open spaces are being built. On the construction site crane required for this project, 16 wind turbines were installed at a height of 30 meters. The crane itself and also the construction site office can thus be powered to a large extent by environmentally friendly wind energy during the construction work. The annual output from the wind energy generated in this project is up to 16,000 kWh. In this case, too, there is no need for additional masts or any form of further land sealing or infrastructure - a key aspect of the MOVEAIR concept, especially since the turbines were mounted on the crane that was already in place anyway. In the future, SÜBA AG plans to extend the production of its own wind energy to other construction sites in Austria and Germany. In addition to highway bridges and construction site cranes, radio masts in the telecommunications sector represent another area of application for the turbines. "There are numerous industries that can benefit from MOVEAIR's wind energy solution," Naumann affirms.

Reduce costs, protect the climate

MOVEAIR's offering is in tune with the times, as companies are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) came into force at EU level at the beginning of January this year, which also increases the need for companies to take action. "Companies should increasingly switch to more sustainable energy solutions. For many, however, it is a major challenge to achieve this while maintaining their own profitability," explains Naumann and describes why it is worthwhile for companies to cooperate with MOVEAIR: "With our wind energy solutions, companies can reduce their energy costs. What's more, by generating renewable energy on site, they reduce their dependence on often expensive grid electricity." In any case, MOVEAIR has ambitious plans for the Austrian market in the future: "We have set ourselves the goal of taking on a leading role as a provider of innovative wind energy solutions. By cooperating with key players such as ASFINAG and SÜBA AG, we are demonstrating the potential of our technology and are convinced that we will be able to make a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions and meeting the growing demand for renewable energy sources in Austria in the future," concludes Naumann.