Air traffic controller hinders wind power expansion in N Germany - report

Sep 10, 2013 - Investments in wind power worth EUR 1 billion (USD 1.3bn) have been put on hold in Eastern Holstein, northern Germany, due to strict approval procedures by Germany's air traffic controller DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, Karl Detlef, head of several wind power projects, said.

DFS has tightened its approval procedures since the spring of 2013, Detlef said yesterday quoted by Hamburger Abendblatt. He attended a briefing of Schleswig-Holstein's Energy Minister Robert Habeck with wind plants operators and mayors in Eutin, the district capital of Eastern Holstein.

According to Habeck, the undifferentiated rejection of projects by DFS without any plant-specific reasons is not acceptable. He added that a transparent procedure is necessary, which to allow plant operators as early as possible to determine whether their facilities will be approved or not.

According to the ministry, over the last months 16 wind power facilities were approved in flight-relevant regions of Eastern Holstein, while 68 with a total capacity of 198 MW were rejected.

Habeck pointed out that the problem is not topical only for the state of Schleswig-Holstein but also for entire Germany.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.32)

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