Around the turn of the millennium, nine wind pioneers from
Schleswig-Holstein launched their attempt to transfer the idea
of a citizens' wind farm from land to sea in the shape of Butendiek which translates from Lower German as "beyond the dykes".
This requires a short explanation: long before the politically proclaimed energy turnaround after the Fukushima disaster, the
idea took shape in many areas in the North in the 1990s that not
only single investors but whole villages and communities ought
to profit financially from the revenues of a wind farm. With a
citizens' wind farm, the local résidants can invest small amounts
in the project. This procedure quickly led to a great sense of solidarity and acceptance, especially on the west coast of Schleswig
Holstein with the rapidly growing number of wind farms.
The idea of a citizens' wind farm was imported from neighbouring Denmark. Which is not surprising as the small kingdom
had already led the way in Europe in the early 1980s in supporting
the expansion of wind power; firstly on land and a good decade
later, at sea. It was therefore merely a matter of time until there
would be the first offshore wind farm with civil participation. The
first ideas and pre-planning for the Middelgrunden project date
back to 1996. In 2000 work began on the construction of 20 wind
turbines manufactured by Bonus Energy [today Siemens] each
with an output of two mégawatts three and a half kilométrés
before the entrance to the port of Copenhagen. When Middelgrunden was commissioned some months later, the 90 MW
project was then the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
The fact that around 8,600 citizens [mostly Danes] invested
around 23 million euros in this project also attracted worldwide attention. Middelgrunden Vindmollelaug, as this energy cooperative is called, still owns half of the offshore wind farm till
this day.
Wolfgang Paulsen was quickly fascinated by Middelgrunden.
"We should be able to do anything the Danes can do." Paulsen,
then Managing Director of two North Frisian citizens' wind farms,
was one of the nine founding shareholders who wanted to turn
the German Middelgrunden into reality off the coast of Sylt. "We
mustn't leave the offshore business just to the big corporations
and finance funds", was the ténor of his motivation. The nine wind
matadors from the west coast had conceived an offshore wind
farm with an output of 290 mégawatts for which 80 turbines in
the three mégawatt class were to be used. At the start of their
planning, they had estimated the investment costs at 300 to 900
million euros.
THE BUTENDIEKERS SET ABOUT THEIR WORK WITH GREAT
COMMITMENL ANO TOUTED THEIR IDEA IN MANY VILLAGE
PUBS AND COMMUNITY CENTRES. WITH SUCCESS.'
110
Schleswig-Holstein launched their attempt to transfer the idea
of a citizens' wind farm from land to sea in the shape of Butendiek which translates from Lower German as "beyond the dykes".
This requires a short explanation: long before the politically proclaimed energy turnaround after the Fukushima disaster, the
idea took shape in many areas in the North in the 1990s that not
only single investors but whole villages and communities ought
to profit financially from the revenues of a wind farm. With a
citizens' wind farm, the local résidants can invest small amounts
in the project. This procedure quickly led to a great sense of solidarity and acceptance, especially on the west coast of Schleswig
Holstein with the rapidly growing number of wind farms.
The idea of a citizens' wind farm was imported from neighbouring Denmark. Which is not surprising as the small kingdom
had already led the way in Europe in the early 1980s in supporting
the expansion of wind power; firstly on land and a good decade
later, at sea. It was therefore merely a matter of time until there
would be the first offshore wind farm with civil participation. The
first ideas and pre-planning for the Middelgrunden project date
back to 1996. In 2000 work began on the construction of 20 wind
turbines manufactured by Bonus Energy [today Siemens] each
with an output of two mégawatts three and a half kilométrés
before the entrance to the port of Copenhagen. When Middelgrunden was commissioned some months later, the 90 MW
project was then the largest offshore wind farm in the world.
The fact that around 8,600 citizens [mostly Danes] invested
around 23 million euros in this project also attracted worldwide attention. Middelgrunden Vindmollelaug, as this energy cooperative is called, still owns half of the offshore wind farm till
this day.
Wolfgang Paulsen was quickly fascinated by Middelgrunden.
"We should be able to do anything the Danes can do." Paulsen,
then Managing Director of two North Frisian citizens' wind farms,
was one of the nine founding shareholders who wanted to turn
the German Middelgrunden into reality off the coast of Sylt. "We
mustn't leave the offshore business just to the big corporations
and finance funds", was the ténor of his motivation. The nine wind
matadors from the west coast had conceived an offshore wind
farm with an output of 290 mégawatts for which 80 turbines in
the three mégawatt class were to be used. At the start of their
planning, they had estimated the investment costs at 300 to 900
million euros.
THE BUTENDIEKERS SET ABOUT THEIR WORK WITH GREAT
COMMITMENL ANO TOUTED THEIR IDEA IN MANY VILLAGE
PUBS AND COMMUNITY CENTRES. WITH SUCCESS.'
110