250 additional wind turbines for Lower Austria

2023-09-06 11:56:26

LH Deputy Pernkopf: Revision of the existing wind zoning is progressing

St. Polten (OTS) – “Since 2005, carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 25 percent, while 40 percent of all Austrian wind and solar power is generated in Lower Austria. This makes Lower Austria the federal state with the greatest carbon dioxide savings and with the most green electricity. We will continue on this path – to protect the climate and to promote energy independence,” says LH Deputy Stephan Pernkopf.

Lower Austria is the leader when it comes to wind power, every second wind turbine in Austria is in Lower Austria. A team of experts is currently working on revising the existing wind zoning in order to identify locations for 250 additional wind turbines. The result is expected in 2023. In order to support communities, LH deputy Stephan Pernkopf, Lower Austria Municipal Association President Johannes Pressl and Herbert Greisberger, Managing Director of the Energy and Environment Agency (eNu), informed around 150 community representatives regarding the current status and implementation options. In a first step, existing zones will be rounded off and expanded.

“Around 770 wind turbines with an output of almost 1,900 megawatts are already in Lower Austria, which corresponds to 52 percent of the entire Austrian wind power output. Around 200 more wind turbines are currently under construction, in the process of being planned,” says Pernkopf. Existing wind turbines are also modernized in order to achieve maximum performance and efficiency. “Today, modernized wind turbines are twice or three times as powerful as before, which is why we have made such repowering processes much easier,” says Pernkopf. In this way, 300 to 400 megawatts more wind power can be generated without installing new wind turbines.

“We in the communities want the energy transition and we urgently need the energy transition. However, this can only work if the municipalities have a say and the population participates”, says Pressl, President of the Association of Municipalities of Lower Austria, who wants to further promote the expansion of renewable energies in the municipalities.

“The energy transition is taking place in Lower Austria. The development of wind energy underlines the above-average contribution of Lower Austria, because the current electricity production of 4,300 gigawatt hours from wind power will already be around 12,000 gigawatt hours in 2035,” explains eNu Managing Director Herbert Greisberger. Interest in participation models for renewable energies is generally increasing. More than 70 municipalities have solar power plant projects in which the citizens participate in photovoltaic systems. “And on top of that, there are already over 150 energy communities in Lower Austria. For the first time, citizens can produce, store, consume and also sell clean energy across property boundaries,” explains Greisberger.

2023 is the record year for renewable energies in Lower Austria. “In addition to the wind turbines, we are expecting 15,000 new PV systems and 20 biomass systems this year. In the next few years, we will triple renewable electricity production in Lower Austria, from currently around 5,000 GWh to 15,000 GWh of electricity. So an additional 10,000 GWh, that corresponds to the electricity requirements of the whole of Styria, which is newly built,” says Pernkopf. The PV systems are mainly installed on roofs, parking lots, factories and warehouses in order to use up non-fertile soil. This secures a new subsidy for PV systems in parking lots.

Further information: Energy and Environment Agency of the State of Lower Austria, press spokesman Mag. Stefan Kaiser, mobile [phone], e-mail [e-mail], www.enu.at

Questions & contact:

Office of the Lower Austrian provincial government
State Office Directorate/Public Relations
Ing. Mag. John Seiter
02742/9005-12174
[e-mail]
www.noe.gv.at/presse

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