Enercon founder Aloys Wobben has died

Enercon founder Aloys Wobben has died aged 69 after a serious long-term illness.

The turbine manufacturer and its sole shareholder the Aloys Wobben Foundation released a statement confirming his death and expressing their deep condolences.

Wobben studied electrical engineering at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences in Lower Saxony, specialising in energy technology.

He founded Enercon in Aurich in Lower Saxony, north-west Germany in 1984.

At Enercon, Wobben helped to develop the firm’s first wind turbines, including its first gearless wind turbine in 1992, the E-40/500kW machine. Since then, Enercon has focused on gearless, direct-drive turbines.

He retired in 2012, due to health reasons, and transferred Enercon to the Aloys Wobben Foundation, which is the sole shareholder in the manufacturer.

Windpower Monthly would like to send its condolences to all of Aloys’ family, friends and colleagues.