Protest against wind turbines: paragliders fear for their take-off place!

Protest against wind turbines: paragliders fear for their take-off place!

Things are simmering in the small community of Wenholthausen, a picturesque part of the Sauerland: six wind turbines are planned on a nearby mountain, and protests against them are increasing. A wind turbine in particular, which is to be positioned in the take-off path of SauerlandAir's paragliders, is the focus of criticism. Manuel Moreno, the chairman of SauerlandAir, makes it clear that this wind turbine would have fatal consequences for the club, especially with the frequent southwesterly winds that would make flying impossible. “Last season recorded over 1,000 starts at the most used place in North Rhine-Westphalia – that would be over,” said Moreno.

There's something going on! SauerlandAir has now filed a lawsuit against the decision and sent it to the OVG Münster. The board members accuse the authorities of not taking their concerns and interest in the flight area seriously. Together with a protest campaign in which posters were put up against the wind turbine, they are demanding that people be heard.

The wind farm and its consequences

Hochsauerland-Energie GmbH, which is responsible for the wind farm, does not take kindly to the concerns of the paragliders. They emphasize that there was extensive public participation that the association did not take advantage of. However, Moreno and his colleagues were only informed about the wind power plans in the summer. It is also believed that the wind turbine could simply be switched off during flight operations in order to maintain thermals for flights. A compromise that was, however, rejected.

The wind farm is not just intended to represent an attack on paragliding operations. Experts and opponents of the project envisage dramatic interventions in nature. “Cutting down tens of thousands of trees and clearing the entire mountain are extremely questionable projects,” complains one critic. The property values ​​of local residents also don't seem to play a role for investors. The whole thing is reminiscent of an unequal battle between nature conservation and the pursuit of profit, with those responsible at the authorities and investors ignoring the risks.

The future of wind power and its challenges

But what happens when the first flying wind turbines, such as those being developed by Enerkite GmbH and other companies, soon become reality? These systems use high altitudes to generate electricity and could potentially become a less invasive solution for energy production. However, the effects of such systems on nature have not yet been adequately recorded. Bruinzeel et al. (2018) report that these technologies could potentially cause ground-dwelling animal conflicts and bird collisions. In these discussions, around 13 to 24 bird killings per year are estimated as a possible consequence.

For the paragliders in Wenholthausen and their supporters, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop. The lack of transparency in the construction of the wind farm and the feeling that local residents are not sufficiently taken into account are cause for concern. It remains exciting to see whether SauerlandAir's lawsuit will be heard or whether the wind power plans will continue to move forward despite all the resistance.

The debate about the wind farm is also a sign of the challenges that the energy transition brings with it - balancing the needs of nature, local residents and the requirements of energy production is a sensitive issue that must be carefully considered.

For further information on the background and current developments, read more at WDR, SauerlandAir and [Naturschutz Energy transition](https://www.naturschutz-energiewende.de/fragenund Answeren/176-flugwindenergieanlagen-naturschutzbelange/).