Nordenergie Wind Farm Inaugurated

As part of the third edition of the Soler Energy Afterwork, the official inauguration of the "Wandpark Nordenergie" wind farm took place in Karelshaff (Colmar-Berg) on Thursday 19 September 2024, in the presence of Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, among others.

As Soler explained, the plant at the Karelshaff site went into operation in July 2024. With an installed capacity of around 4.26 MW, its annual production is estimated at 8.3 million KWh, which corresponds to the consumption of around 1,850 households, or the equivalent of around 7,400 people.

The "Wandpark Nordenergie" is a joint project between the municipalities of Diekirch and Ettelbrück, Nordenergie and Soler; it was presented to the local public for the first time in 2020. After the completion of detailed analyses, the environmental impact assessment and the subsequent approval procedures for the Karelshaff site, infrastructure work began in September 2023. The first foundations were poured in December 2023 and the steel tower was assembled in March 2024. In July 2024, construction was completed and the plant was subsequently put into operation.

In addition to the two government ministers, the mayors of the municipalities of Diekirch and Ettelbruck, Charles Weiler and Bob Steichen, representatives of the wind farm company Wandpark Nordenergie and the company Soler also attended the inauguration on Thursday. After the official part, a panel discussion took place on the topics of wind power, the latest technological advances and environmental and nature conservation.

Soler noted that extensive environmental measures were carried out as part of the project development, in particular to protect local wildlife. The measures included, for example, the use of so-called staggered mowing as a hunting area and refuge for the red kite, the black kite and the buzzard, and the raising of a stream for the snipe. During operation of the plants, targeted shutdowns are also planned to protect bats and red kites, as well as a bird detection system that stops the plant when birds of prey approach.

"Every additional wind turbine that is connected to the grid helps us to gradually approach the important and ambitious energy and climate goals," commented Prime Minister Frieden. "Accelerating the development of renewable energy is one of the government's priorities. That is why a broad consultation will take place in the next few weeks on how we can produce renewable energy more quickly through administrative simplification."

"I am delighted that the Karelshaff wind farm was inaugurated today. With projects like this, we are making an important contribution to the energy transition and to strengthening the domestic energy supply," said Minister Delles. "By simplifying the procedures and by having more discussions with local stakeholders, the expansion of renewable energy in Luxembourg will be driven forward even faster in the future."

Paul Zeimet, Managing Director of Soler, added: "We are delighted with the good, cross-border cooperation with the municipalities of Diekirch and Ettelbruck, the national authorities and all partners involved, as well as with the openness and acceptance of the citizens of the municipalities. Careful planning, information and involvement of citizens in the development process, as well as the possibility of participation of municipalities and citizens in the wind farm company, are crucial to the continuous expansion of wind power in Luxembourg. This is the common thread that runs through the development of all Soler projects."

Soler also participated in the Luxembourg Open Days (Portes Ouvertes Luxembourg) over the weekend. The public was invited to the new facility at the Karelshaff site for an afternoon of discovery for all ages on Sunday 22 September 2024.