The official inauguration of the "Sudwand" wind park took place on Friday 18 October 2024, in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, and the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes.
The two installations, which are located on the Pontpierre and Peppange sites, were commissioned in summer. With an installed capacity of approximately 8.5 MW, their annual production is estimated at approximately 15.3 million KWh, which corresponds to the consumption of approximately 3,400 households, or approximately 13,600 people.
The Sudwand wind park, a partnership between SUDenergie and Soler, currently has two wind turbines. The municipality of Mondercange, in Mettendallerbësch near Pontpierre, is home to an Enercon E-138 turbine with a blade diameter of 115 m, a hub height of 160 m and an installed capacity of 4.26 MW. The second is located in Peppange on Tontebichelchen. This model, an Enercon E-115, has a blade diameter of 115 m, a hub height of 149 m and also develops an installed capacity of 4.26 MW. The annual energy production of these two wind turbines is estimated at 15.3 million kWh, which corresponds to the average annual consumption of around 3,400 households (the equivalent of 13,600 people) and saves 9,960 tonnes of CO2.
SUDenergie and Soler initiated the project in 2015, in close collaboration with the municipalities of Mondercange and Roeser. From the outset, all stakeholders were keen to involve the public, noted the partners. The design and planning also immediately integrated the many criteria related to environmental and nature protection. After the initial analyses on the ground, two sites were initially selected for more in-depth analyses.
A strict restriction procedure defined buffer zones around inhabited places and thus excluded them from the planning. The project partners said they were also paying particularly attention to compliance with national limits on noise and shade.
The project was first presented to local residents at information meetings in early 2018. Although wind energy is not yet widespread in the south of the country, unlike in the north of Luxembourg, citizens immediately showed "great interest" and "broad acceptance", according to the partners.
After all the stakeholders involved had agreed on the first two sites in Pontpierre and Peppange, the sites still had to undergo detailed analyses, an environmental impact study and then authorisation procedures. Once all these steps were completed, the infrastructure work could begin in March 2022. The foundations were poured in October 2022 and the steel towers installed in May 2023. After the completion of construction, the facility was finally put into service in July 2023.
The official and public inauguration took place on 18 October in the presence of Ministers Delles and Wilmes, representatives of Soler and SUDenergie and the mayor of the municipality of Mondercange, Jeannot Fürpass. The inhabitants of Mondercange were also invited to discover the operational facility. A special visit for the municipality's primary schools also took place in the morning.
"The commissioning of this installation in the Sudwand wind parkm represents an important step for Luxembourg's energy transition. Despite the importance of wind power for our country, we note that the authorisation procedures for turbines are too long. This is why we are currently considering, with all parties concerned, ways to shorten the time between planning and implementation. Wind energy is of strategic importance for achieving Luxembourg's climate objectives. Along with photovoltaics, it is one of the central pillars for the development of renewable electricity production in our country," said Minister Delles.
Minister Wilmes emphasised that "wind energy is an important source of energy for achieving the objectives of our PNEC. We cannot dissociate the energy crisis from the climate and biodiversity crisis. The key is to find a balance between the different needs that are emerging in this area of tension. Although renewable energies have made great progress in recent times, we must accelerate their development. As a government, we are pursuing all these goals."
Alain Fürpass, Managing Director of SUDenergie SA, noted: "Finally seeing the wind turbines of our Sudwand project turning after all these years of hard work fills us with pride, because it is a significant contribution to the sustainable electricity supply of the country. As an energy company close to the citizens, we assume our responsibility to make the energy transition a success and Sudwand plays an important role in this. We are particularly pleased to have been able to mobilise the strengths of our company, which are based on the commitment of fourteen municipalities, to successfully complete a regional wind project. We are convinced that this is a solid basis for other installations in the region."
Paul Zeimet, Managing Director of Soler AG, added: "The Sudwand joint project demonstrates once again that wind energy has potential in the south of the country and that it is also widely accepted by citizens there. That is why we are happy to work with the municipalities, national authorities and all stakeholders. I also welcome the government's intention to accelerate the permitting procedures in the future. The two ministers present today took the opportunity to reaffirm this intention. For all these reasons, I am confident that we will continue to successfully progress towards our national goals in the years to come."
