Junge Donau wind farm: successful year despite critical voices!

Junge Donau wind farm: successful year despite critical voices!

In the Junge Donau wind farm, which has been on the Winterberg between the Tuttlingen districts of Esslingen and Ippingen for a year, five Vestas V150 wind turbines have a lively influence on the region's power supply. Each of these wind turbines has an output of 4.2 megawatts and has impressive dimensions, including a rotor diameter of 150 meters. Despite the initial concerns whether the technology work reliably, the operator, the local partners Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, now shows positive results.

In the first year of operation that runs from August 2023 to July 2024, the wind turbines were able to generate 51,000 megawatt hours (MWh). This exceeds the initial target brand of 50,000 MWh only slightly and is the result of overall cheaper wind conditions in this period, as Ulrich Schermaul, press spokesman for the Stadtwerke Tübingen, explains.

Why were the wind turbines still?

In the first few months, the wind turbines were not always in operation, which repeatedly raised questions. Stall times include technical problems, adaptation to bat behavior and necessary maintenance work, confirmed Schermaul.

Despite the initial criticism and the lawsuit against the construction, the first feedback from the residents and the local partner seem to be majority. The project has gained dynamics and it seems that the initial skepticism was gone after it delivered remarkable results in the first phase of operations.

The wind farm as a model for the future?

The example of the Junge Donau wind farm stimulates how to proceed with wind power in the Tuttlingen district. A regional plan has good locations in the area, but the municipality of Seitingen-Oberflacht has already made it clear that it does not want any further wind turbines in its field.

In the meantime, wind measurements are still running on the Hattinger Berg in Tuttlingen to determine whether the construction of other wind turbines is useful. The result remains to be seen. In comparison, there are already progress in the adjacent Black Forest Baar district, where two wind power projects outside the Tuttlingen district were launched. For example, Solarcomplex GmbH is planning six wind turbines near Geisingen, Hüfingen and Donaueschingen, but the construction of which is delayed due to legal disputes.

For further information on the developments around the Junge Donau wind farm is this article from www.schwaebische.de. It remains exciting to observe how not only the project Young Danube but also the general wind power development in the Tuttlingen region develops.