Wind energy facility is on the brink of shutting down.
The Windpark Wannenbühl project, planned by Bio-Energy Allgäu (BEA) for over seven years, will not be built. The venture, which aimed to install five wind turbines of the E-175 type by Enercon from Aurich, has faced numerous obstacles that have delayed or halted its progress.
Local opposition in Bergatreute has been a significant factor in the project's demise. Residents and community groups have expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact, noise pollution, and effects on local wildlife. These concerns, coupled with the lack of support from the community, have made it challenging for the project to gain momentum.
Navigating the complex approval processes for wind energy installations in the region has also contributed to the delays. The approval procedure for Windpark Wannenbühl, if it were to start, would likely result in an approval that is not in accordance with the legally binding partial regional plan for energy. This plan, currently in its second public display phase, is expected to be adopted by the regional council in September.
The Regionalverband Bodensee-Oberschwaben (RVBO) has not designated the Wannenbühl area as a priority area for wind energy due to conflicts with species protection. If the new partial regional plan becomes valid, only wind parks on specified areas will be possible, effectively making the Wannenbühl area an exclusion zone for wind energy.
The municipality of Bergatreute and the city of Bad Waldsee have the potential to voluntarily draw up a land use plan for a wind park, allowing wind turbines to be built outside priority areas. However, this option has not been pursued for Windpark Wannenbühl.
The foundations of a sister project, Windpark Röschenwald, are already completed between Mochenwangen and Zollenreute. This project, also partnered with Alterric, is currently underway. Despite the progress of Röschenwald, the project managers of Windpark Wannenbühl must bear the costs of the studies conducted so far, including wind measurements and an environmental impact assessment.
Mayor Helmfried Schäfer of Bergatreute has filed a lawsuit against three wind turbines of the neighboring project Windpark Altdorfer Wald with the Administrative Court of Mannheim. This legal action further complicates the prospects for Windpark Wannenbühl.
BEA has not responded to specific questions about the delays in the Windpark Wannenbühl project, the results of the species protection report, or plans to submit an application for approval this year. As it stands, the Windpark Wannenbühl project is unlikely to be built due to the ongoing legal proceedings and lack of support.
Despite the successful completion of the foundations for a similar project, Windpark Röschenwald, the Windpark Wannenbühl project faces an uncertain future. The ongoing opposition from the community, complex approval processes, conflicts with species protection, and ongoing legal proceedings have made it challenging for the renewable-energy industry to financially justify proceeding with the construction in the Region. With no evidence of a plan to submit an application for approval this year, it seems that the financial sector may not be willing to invest in the energy projects of Bio-Energy Allgäu (BEA) within the Region.
