On Tuesday, a set of giant rotor blades, each weighing 25 tonnes and measuring 60 metres in length, were moved across the country to Peppange where a new windmill is set to become operational by June this year. Once completed, the mill is expected to provide electricity to an estimated 1,500 households.
It is difficult to find a suitable location for the 215-metre-high installation due to environment and noise regulations. However, these guarantee that there is greater acceptance from citizens. At 37 decibel, Luxembourg’s noise limit is set significantly lower than the one in Germany, for instance. Also, windmills are required to be at least 900 metres away from residential areas.
Guy Uhres, who is in charge of renewables at energy provider Soler, stressed the importance of collaborating with municipalities even if electricity is considered a public utility and authorisations are therefore not required: “We either evaluate where we can build and then approach the respective municipality or a town’s climate team might contact us and then we have a look at the site in question. The latter case makes it easier as we already have a foot in the door, so to speak.”
Up until now, the company has never launched construction without signing an accord with a municipality.
Windmills have an average lifespan of 25 years. Soler director Paul Zeimet explained that most parts are easy to recycle with the exception of the blades, which are made from glass fibre and therefore have to be cut up and burnt. Ashes are later used as sand replacement in the concrete industry.
Although this practice has been criticised by environmentalists for years, the burning and reusing is said to not be harmful to humans.
Soler currently operates 38 windmills and another ten are scheduled to be added this year, which will increase the total number of installations in Luxembourg to 73.
Zeimet is optimistic that new and more efficient windmills can help achieve climate goals by 2030 instead of 2040. The expanded network is thought to be able to one day cover Luxembourg’s entire private electricity consumption, which equals about 15% of the entire need. Electricity will thus still have to be bought from abroad to cover industrial needs.
