Exclusion zone plan

Is the death blow coming for the mega wind farm in Sandl?

According to the operators, 22 wind turbines in Sandl could supply 125,000 households with green electricity.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

A quarter of a billion euros is to be invested in 22 wind turbines in Sandl in the Mühlviertel region. But while the EIA process is still ongoing, Upper Austria's largest wind power project to date could be history again - if Sandl is declared a "red zone" in a plan presented today. 

It would be a unique project in Upper Austria on this scale: Just under a month ago, a private mega-project with 22 wind turbines in Sandl was submitted for an environmental impact assessment (EIA). The fact that the area there had been declared unsuitable by environmental lawyer and wind power opponent Martin Donat did not impress the operators - Donat's "Wind Power Master Plan" is non-binding.

Plan delayed
Reason enough for the black-blue coalition, which is on the brakes when it comes to wind power, to think about a binding exclusion zone plan, which was supposed to be presented almost two weeks ago. As reported, however, there was a last-minute backpedal - the plan was not yet ready, according to the office of the responsible Vice Governor Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ).

Chamber of Commerce calls for wind power expansion
However, it is quite possible that it was also postponed due to pressure from the ÖVP-dominated Chamber of Commerce (WKOÖ). It went on the offensive with an open letter to Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP). Among other things, it called for the "expansion of wind power plants" and the avoidance of "exclusion zones" - particularly at the "Sandl project site".

"Organize and accelerate"
It was not possible to find out whether and how Stelzer reacted to the Chamber of Commerce's request. His office did not respond to a request for comment. There should be one today at 12 noon - when Haimbuchner and Markus Achleitner (ÖVP), State Councillor for Economic Affairs, present "clear regulations for locations for renewable energy plants" under the motto "Organize and accelerate".

Sandl in the no-go zone?
It is unlikely that the WKOÖ's wish will be fulfilled: those familiar with the matter in the provincial parliament suspect that the cipher "order" conceals the precise declaration of binding wind power exclusion zones. And it has leaked out that Sandl is one of these prohibited zones. An EIA procedure for the mega wind power project in the Mühlviertel would therefore be impossible.