Nonsensical regulations: The expansion of wind power is stalling - although it would be so easy

It is said that birds of prey and wind turbines do not get along very well, which is why many permits fail.

Others also fail because they get along way too well.

This is what happened at a location in the Uckermark.

The first wind turbines were built there in 1997, and now there are 41. Over the years, more and more red kites have settled between the masts and seem to feel extremely comfortable there.

In any case, the local power generator reports that the birds “reproduce without problems, sometimes they even do so in the middle of existing parks”.

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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The company would like to replace some old wind turbines with new, more powerful ones, but is not getting anywhere because of the conservation of species. Because the "animal-ecological distance criteria" apply even if the birds have only settled after they have been put into operation. At some locations in southern Germany, too, there are now so many kites that up to 15 of them are circling the masts at the same time, as photos show. They fly at a height of 40 to 60 meters, exactly on the rotor circle level. The planned, much larger replacement systems would not get in the way of the birds. Nevertheless, the responsible district office has refused the permit - with reference to the many birds.

What sounds like pranks from the bourgeoisie are first-hand reports that the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) has compiled.

His new paper "Problems in practice when replacing existing wind turbines" is available to the FAZ.

According to him, many conflicting and sometimes nonsensical regulations make it difficult to upgrade and replace old wind turbines with new ones (repowering).

Official disability

Another example of this is a location in the Eifel where three bikes have been in use since the late 1990s.

The attempt to replace it with a single new system with more output failed because of the Rhineland-Palatinate state development plan.

This does not allow the planned exchange ratio: If three systems go offline, two new ones have to be installed, not a single one, regardless of their performance.

These official hindrances and requirements, as well as the risk of financial failure, were so high that the investors in the Eifel finally gave up their plans.

Fatal for energy security

There are many unnecessary steps backwards of this kind, reports the DIHK, and they could be fatal not only for climate protection, but also for the energy security of the German economy and private households. Because Germany needs more and more green electricity - especially from wind - if the last nuclear power plants are to go offline in 2022 and the last coal piles in 2038. According to the existing laws, at least 65 percent of gross electricity consumption will come from renewable sources in 2030. The output of the onshore wind turbines is to increase from 54 to 71 gigawatts.

For years, however, the expansion has stalled due to a lack of space, citizen protests, court proceedings, slow permits, species protection concerns or new requirements, such as minimum distances.

This is precisely why repowering is considered a good way to get more out of established locations: They have proven themselves, have already been developed, connected to the power grid, integrated into the landscape, and less controversial.

In such parks, one new system can replace up to six old ones, it takes up less space and runs even more quietly.

"RED II" directive aims to speed up approvals

Politicians have recognized this, which is why the EU “RED II” directive provides for repowering projects to be approved more quickly. Germany has transposed RED II into national law through the Federal Immission Control Act. "This will likely accelerate repowering," praised the DIHK. But it is also clear that the simplifications are nowhere near enough. Exactly where the expansion could progress the fastest, when replacing old systems, there are “high modernization hurdles”, the chamber paper criticizes: “In practice, companies that want to replace wind turbines at the same location face considerable difficulties, up to and including impossibility . "

The entire economy needs a reliable supply of green electricity, explains DIHK managing director Achim Dercks in an interview with the FAZ.

A faster expansion of wind power is crucial for this.

“But the expansion rate has been paralyzing for years.” The long delays and the increasing project costs in repowering led to rising electricity costs, which placed an additional burden on the companies.

Suggestions for "easier repowering"

The DIHK paper contains specific suggestions for improvement "for easier repowering".

This must also be possible in areas that are outside of subsequently created areas suitable for wind.

Existing locations should not be called into question in principle; rather, approval procedures and environmental impact assessments should be limited to possible additional pollution.

The existing minimum distances to weather radars and rotary radio beacons should also be reconsidered, which are stricter than internationally usual.

In addition, it is necessary to enact nationwide species protection rules.

These would have to take into account that repowering generally interferes less with nature than before.

The DIHK also demands a complete digitization of the procedures;

so far, many applications have been sent by post.

It is also necessary to always oblige the authorities to a full examination of the facts, even if individual aspects conflicted, for example in nature conservation. This is the only way for a court that judges the individual aspects to reach the necessary rulings to decide on the overall project. "It is in the hands of the new federal government that we switch from the hard shoulder to the lane again at the time of expansion," says Dercks.