Energiewerkstatt Coordinates EIA Planning for the Sandl and Königswiesen / St. Georgen Wind Farms
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Energiewerkstatt Coordinates EIA Planning for the Sandl and Königswiesen / St. Georgen Wind Farms
The planned Sandl and Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde wind farms mark an important milestone for the development of wind power in Upper Austria.
Energiewerkstatt is playing a leading role in both projects, contributing to technical planning, wind potential assessment, and coordination of the EIA project.
The project applicants are Windenergie Sandl GmbH & Co. KG and WE Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde GmbH.
Sandl Wind Farm
19 turbines · 136.8 MW · approximately 316 GWh/year
Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde Wind Farm
10 turbines · 72 MW · approximately 142 GWh/year
Total
, 29 facilities · 208.8 MW · approximately 458 GWh/year
An Important Step for Wind Power in Upper Austria
While wind power in Upper Austria has so far been dominated primarily by smaller existing projects, two projects on a new scale —Sandl and Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde—are now undergoing the environmental impact assessment process. Both projects significantly exceed the capacity previously realized in the state and demonstrate the contribution that larger wind farm developments can make to regional electricity generation in the future.
458 GWh/year
projected annual output of both projects
about 3.3%
of Upper Austria’s final electricity consumption
about five times as much wind power
as is currently generated annually in Upper Austria
Technical Planning and Coordination of EIA Documentation
Energiewerkstatt played a key role in both projects in the areas of technical project development and preparation for the EIA process. This included, in particular:
- Feasibility Study
- Wind Measurements and Yield Forecasts
- Site Optimization and Wind Farm Layout
- Technical reports and supporting documentation for the EIA
- Compilation of the Project Description and Quality Assurance for the EIA Submission Documents
- Assistance with the submission to the EIA authority
- Technical support during the public comment period, the expert review phase, and the remainder of the process
For wind farm projects of this scale , numerous data sets, technical reports, and engineering analyses must be consistently integrated. Energiewerkstatt coordinated, in particular, those documents and reports relevant to the technical project description, the assessment of wind potential, the yield forecasts, and the submission schedule.
“These projects represent an important step for Upper Austria. They demonstrate that wind power can be further developed on a new scale right here in our own state. This makes it all the more important that the technical foundations are robust, transparent, and clearly explained throughout the process. That is precisely where we see our responsibility.” (Claas Rittinghaus – Project Manager) or (Andreas Krenn – Managing Director)
After submission, our technical support remains an essential part of the process. During the public comment period, the expert review phase, and subsequent procedural steps, Energiewerkstatt answers technical questions regarding planning, wind measurement, and yield assessment. It also contributes its technical expertise during public stages of the process.
Wind Measurements as the Basis for Reliable Yield Forecasts
A key foundation for the project development was the wind measurement campaigns conducted in both project areas. The goal was to gather as reliable data as possible on wind conditions at the elevation levels that would later be relevant for the turbines. In Sandl, turbines with a hub height of 199 meters are planned, while those in Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde will have a hub height of 175 meters. The rotor diameter for both projects is 172 meters.
To this end, Energiewerkstatt operated wind measurement masts, each 120 meters high, in both project areas over a period of one year. In addition, lidar measurements were conducted, which allow for the precise recording of wind conditions even above the height of the measurement masts.
The combination of mast and tip measurements allows for a more accurate assessment of how much wind speed increases with height and what wind conditions can be expected at hub height. This information is used to derive yield forecasts, which in turn form a key basis for the technical and economic evaluation of the projects.
Current Status of the Proceedings
With the public review of the submitted documents, both projects have reached an important procedural milestone. This review has now been completed. The proceedings are currently in the technical review phase: Comments and objections received are being processed by experts appointed by the authorities and, together with the partial reports, will be incorporated into the summary assessment.
- Completed: Public Review of Submitted Documents
- Current: Technical review of comments, objections, and partial expert opinions
- Next: Summary assessment and its public release
- Next major step in the proceedings: an oral hearing at the end of this year or the beginning of next year
- Next: official decision
Contribution to the Decarbonization of the Electricity Supply
These two projects demonstrate the contribution that large-scale wind farm projects can make toward the further decarbonization of the electricity supply in Upper Austria. At the same time, they highlight the importance of reliable wind measurements, consistent technical planning, and precise coordination of EIA documentation for wind farm projects of this scale.
For Energiewerkstatt, Sandl and Königswiesen / St. Georgen am Walde are two major planning projects and, at the same time, an important contribution to the further development of wind power in Upper Austria. Thorough technical project preparation is particularly important, especially given that these are the first major wind farm EIA procedures in the state.