Re-Powering with Great Effects on the Landscape

A particular challenge is the re-powering of non-privileged wind turbines, i.e. turbines that are located outside of “concentration areas” (priority or suitable areas). It can be assumed that reconstruction at those sites is no longer permitted and replacement locations have to be found. The exact opposite is true for privileged wind turbines, where the difficult task of locating is eliminated. From the point of view of sustainable land use, it is of public interest to avoid fragmentation through such widespread construction of wind energy plants.

For the replacement of non-privileged facilities which match the visual quality of the landscape but are usually less powerful, the concentration of many wind energy plants into a combined new construction project is appropriate. But the large number of involved parties with different interests can be an obstacle. There are huge divergent interests not only between the numerous operators of old plants, but also between them, the operators of new plants, land owners at the new planned sites and possibly between those affected in the vicinity of the plants. For this reason re-powering projects can be difficult and expensive in themselves. This especially applies to region-wide re-powering involving a large number of old plants with different ownerships.

As part of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (UBA)-funded research and development project on the issue of “Integrated coastal zone management: Economical and efficient land use in the German coastal area” (FKZ 3707 16 101) OECOS GmbH developed innovative ideas for a regional re-powering of non-privileged facilities.

Cf. RUNGE, K. (2010): Repowering nicht-privilegierter Anlagen, eine Herausforderung der besonderen Art. In: Schomerus, Th. Degenhardt, H.: Repowering - Hindernisse und Lösungsmöglichkeiten. Lüneburger Schriften zum Wirtschaftsrecht 15 –Tagungsband zur Veranstaltung am 29.9.2009 an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag, 2010, pp. 59–64.