Germany’s
shift toward alternative energy has seen wind parks pop up around the country.
Not everyone wants a power plant in their own backyard. But in Schlalach, the
wind park has become a part of town life.
In
Schlalach-Mühlenfließ, a small town in the German region of Brandenburg, 16
gigantic wind turbines stretch into the air. Every tower has huge, rotating
blades and a height of close to 180 meters. Elsewhere in Germany, locals have
complained that new wind parks are ruining the scenery. In Germany, critics
often compare wind turbines to asparagus rising into the sky. There have been
massive protests as local communities have tried stop turbine construction
projects from going ahead.
 |
Critics say
the turbines
destroy the landscape
|
But that’s
not the case in Schlalach-Mühlenfließ. Here, locals are proud of their wind
park, which produces 60 times more electricity than the town of 1,000
inhabitants needs for its own purposes. "We are fine, there is hardly any
tension here," says Peter Hahn, who lives in the town and co-founded a
local group called ‘Wind Power in Schlalach’. He says that getting everyone to
agree on the wind park took a lot of hard work.
Promoting
community power
Right at
the beginning of the project, recalls Peter Hahn, they encountered their
biggest challenge. "In 2002, this area here was declared suitable for wind
energy projects," he says, pointing at vast fields that lie between the
village and a motorway.
"About
ten operating companies suddenly arrived. They wanted contracts with the people
who owned the patches of land." But they realized that the best land for
wind turbines wasn’t owned by large-scale farmers. The best plots belong to
about 100 small farms in this region. "We had to find some sort of
agreement," explains Hahn.
 |
| Members of Wind Power in Schlalach |
That’s how
the ‘Wind Power in Schlalach’ working group came to life. Anyone who wanted to
discuss the pros and cons of building a wind park in Schlalach could join.
"We asked all the owners not to sign any contracts. We went for a proper
call for tenders instead," says Hahn.
Hartmut
Höpfner, another member of the working group, approached wind park development
companies. He received 20 replies and the group set to work looking for the
most suitable candidate. "Half the developers wouldn’t have been able to
go through with their plans if you look at the difficulties of such a project,
such as electricity transfer from the turbines and the long years of getting
clearance for it,” he explains.
 |
| Setting up 16 wind turbines between 2010 and 2011 cost some 62 million euros |
Ten of the
firms which originally showed interest have since ceased to exist. "You
have to carefully choose who you want to work with," is Hahn’s advice to
anyone planning a similar project.
Locals help
out
In the end,
Schlalach opted for Enercon, the biggest manufacturer of wind power plants in
Germany. Setting up 16 wind turbines between 2010 and 2011 cost some 62 million
euros. Enercon founded a new subsidiary, in charge of both building and running
the park. Vera Sibler, the project manager, came to visit the town every three
months to meet with the wind power working group. Sibler says it was important
"for the people to have the feeling that they were part of the
process".
 |
| Project developer Vera Sibler, right, attended a wind park party in Schlalach |
People in
Schlalach played an important role in planning the wind park. They even decided
on the wind turbine model together. "Our local car mechanic gave us an
assessment of which plants are the best," says Hahn proudly. Project
developer Sibler supports citizen participation. "It makes the work more
strenuous," she says, "but you also get more satisfaction from
it."
The real
challenge for the Schlalach working group was convincing land owners that a
wind park was a good idea. They developed a what is called a ‘pooled space
model’. It guarantees that the leasing income from the wind turbine locations
is distributed fairly between property owners. The operating company pays an
annual leasing fee of around 18,000 euros for a plant with a 2 megawatt capacity.
 |
| Peter Hahn spent years building community support |
The people
of Schlalach decided this sum wouldn’t be paid out to each individual, but put
into a common fund. Over the coming years, the annual sum flowing into the fund
will amount to more than 300,000 euros. Anyone owning a patch of land that
belongs to the wind park receives a fixed share of the lease, in relation to
the size of their property. The pooled space model guarantees that every single
property owner receives an annual leasing income of about 3,000 euros.
Everyone
benefits
But this
clever system alone wouldn’t have guaranteed the success of the wind park. Not
all people in Schlalach are property owners. So, Peter Hahn, Hartmut Höpfner
and their working group tried to get those people on board who aren’t directly
involved in the wind park but who have to look at buzzing rotor blades.
They set up
a citizens’ foundation, which receives a small share of the income generated by
the wind park. These funds go into local projects such as youth programs and
road repairs. In addition, the community will benefit from the taxes generated
by the wind park.
 |
| Schlalach will benefit from taxes generated by the park |
“We made
sure that the taxes are paid here in our community,” says Hahn. If all goes
according to plan, during their 20 years’ running time, the 16 plants will
account for some 3.3 billion euros of tax income. Regional companies are to
take over the maintenance of the wind turbines and look after the surrounding
fields they stand on.
Once the
income is secured for both property owners and the community, the members of
Wind Power in Schlalach have a dream for the future. With their own capital of
800,000 euros per wind turbine, they plan to buy into the operating company
Enercon. That would guarantee even more direct income for this small town,
where turbines are welcome.
Author: Richard A. Fuchs / nh
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.