EPNE plans 13-MW wind project in mining area in Lower Saxony

German project developer EP New Energies GmbH (EPNE) has applied for a permit to build a 13.2-MW wind park in an opencast mining area in Lower Saxony that should lay the ground for the deployment of more wind and solar energy in the region.

The application for a permit under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) has been submitted with the immission control authority of the Helmstedt district, EPNE said in a statement.

The HSR 1 wind farm will consist of two Siemens Gamesa SG 6.6-170 turbines with a hub height of 165 m that will be erected southwest of Helmstedt close to an existing wind park.

EPNE noted the expert environmental impact assessment shows that a negative environmental impact on the people, soil, flora and fauna is not expected.

The developer plans to build the wind farm once the permit is in place and hand over the project to its partner Helmstedter Revier GmbH in 2025.

The HSR 1 wind project marks the start of the transformation of the former mining area in the Helmstedt district into a green energy region where up to 400 MW of solar and wind capacity are to be installed in the coming years, said EPNE's managing director Dominique Guillou.

EPNE is also partnering with energy company Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG (LEAG) on a 300-MW solar project in Brandenburg. The photovoltaic (PV) park will be built on the recultivation area of the Welzow-Sued opencast mine.

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