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Wind Power News: Europe
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Go-ahead given for Cloiche wind farm in Monadhliaths
The go-ahead has been given to a wind farm in the Monadhliaths which will create one of the largest swathes of turbines in Scotland. Leading Scottish renewable energy developer and operator, SSE Renewables, has welcomed the decision by Scottish Ministers to grant Section 36 planning consent for the Cloiche development. Cloiche wind farm will be located on the Glendoe and Garrogie Estates, next to the already operational 66 turbines at Stronelairg wind farm and Glendoe hydroelectric scheme. A separate application . . . Complete story »
Gedämpfte Zuwächse und massive Verluste
[Modest gains and huge losses – The documented loss of 11 imperial eagles contrasts with the successful flight of 47 young this year. The majestic griffin has found its place in the lowlands of Austria, although reproductive success was significantly lower than the average of the last 10 years. There was an increasing number of collisions between large birds and wind turbines.] Gedämpfte Zuwächse Nachdem der Kaiseradler (Aquila heliaca) bis zum Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts in Österreich ausgestorben war, etabliert sich . . . Complete story »
Worker injured in accident at turbine factory site
A man was taken to hospital after a serious accident at the Teesworks site near Redcar. Medics were called to an incident at the huge regeneration site in Teesside, with the patient taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Neither the nature of the incident nor the worker’s condition are currently known. The incident took place at the SeAH Wind site, where an offshore wind turbine monopile factory is currently being erected. K2 Construction is the build’s principal contractor. . . . Complete story »
Germans have a word for this folly
Sir, – The recent period of cold, windless weather, known as a “dunkelflaute” (a German word referring to a period of winter weather with low light and little to no wind), should serve as lesson to energy policy makers. Temperatures plummeted right across the UK and the thousands of onshore and offshore turbines struggled to meet 2% of demand. These dunkelflautes are not uncommon during the winter months and as it gets colder and wind fails we are forced to . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine engineer who lost arm wins payout fight
Specialist installer Darren Hoadley, 42, was checking the bearings in the mechanism which spins the blades when the machine sliced through his limb “like a guillotine” in June 2018. The injury came as Darren – nicknamed Mr Safety by workmates due to his reputation for diligence – worked at the Rentel offshore wind farm in a Belgian-controlled sector of the North Sea. He sued his employer, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Ltd, over his accident, claiming it could have been avoided . . . Complete story »
New pro-EU government proposes to reduce wind turbine setback from 1,500 m to 300 m
Poland’s incoming government submitted a draft law to freeze energy prices in the first half of 2024 and liberalize rules to build wind farms. The draft law would reduce a minimum distance between a turbine and a residential area to about 300 metres from the current 1,500 metres depending on the level of noise emitted by the installation. And the draft proposes to restore the obligation to trade electricity on the country’s energy exchange, which was abolished by the outgoing . . . Complete story »
Pressured by EU, Hungary agrees to reduce windpower setback from 12 km to 700 m
Hungary has reached an agreement with the European Commission to overhaul the regulation of wind farms, which has effectively made it impossible for developers to set up wind turbines anywhere in the country, Energy Minister Csaba Lantos told news radio Inforadio on November 22. In 2016, the Hungarian parliament passed a law that banned wind turbines within a 12-kilometre radius of populated areas. Up until now, the legislation left no area in Hungary where it would be possible to install . . . Complete story »
German budget chaos puts industry’s green overhaul at risk
Germany’s emergency spending freeze is blocking funds for next-generation auto-industry and steel plants, jeopardizing the push to re-engineer Europe’s economic engine. Berlin halted new spending authorizations this week after Germany’s top court ruled that some €60 billion ($65.7 billion) can’t be transferred into a green-technology fund. The money was earmarked for a range of projects including decarbonizing steel production and major semiconductor works led by Intel, TSMC and Infineon. Sweden’s Northvolt AB was also due to receive part of pledged . . . Complete story »
Cloghan residents say local wind farm is affecting their mental and physical health
A number of residents living beside the nine turbines of Cloghan Wind Farm have told the Midland Tribune that the enormous turbines are having a negative effect on their mental and physical health. Several of the residents living on the one road in the townland of Stonestown said they are fed up with the noise and the flicker coming from the turbines, which have a maximum height of 169 metres and are located about 700 metres from their homes. Chairperson . . . Complete story »
Chinese-owned chunk of Europe’s biggest wind farm hits financial rocks after record power deal debacle
The 653MW Markbygden Ett wind farm – a sub-project of Europe’s largest wind complex Markbygden – has filed for restructuring proceedings with the Umeå district court in northern Sweden after getting into financial difficulties, apparently due to an unprofitable power purchase agreement (PPA) with Norwegian aluminium giant Hydro. The wind farm operator closed a corporate PPA with Hydro in 2017, which then was claimed to be the world’s largest green power offtake agreement. Under the terms of the PPA, Markbygden . . . Complete story »
