Around 70 members of the public came to the Redekin Culture and Sports Center to find out about the plans to repower the existing wind turbines. The event was organized by ENERTRAG SE, which is responsible for project planning on behalf of the operator. The aim is to replace the existing wind turbines with modern, more powerful turbines.

During the event, project managers Katrin Madeleine Zaruba and Ole Martens presented the key points of the project. The plan is to dismantle up to eight existing turbines, each with a capacity of 2 megawatts. In their place, new wind turbines are to be built that operate much more efficiently.

"We expect a significantly higher energy yield from the new turbines," explained Katrin Zaruba.

Extensive information and dialog with the public

In addition to a presentation, the event offered various themed tables and an open question and answer session. The main topics included the dismantling and recycling of old turbines, noise and shadow immissions as well as questions about the disposal of rotor blades and composite materials. Many visitors were surprised at the recycling processes that are possible today.

An overview map also illustrated the spatial planning of the project area, which extends over the districts of Redekin and Wulkow. Five Vestas V175 7.2 MW and V 162 6.2 MW wind turbines with a hub height of 175 and 169 meters respectively are planned.

"This is the current planning status," explained Zaruba. "Our aim is to involve the public transparently and at an early stage."

Positive response and community involvement

Zaruba described the mood among the participants as consistently positive: "There was a pleasant atmosphere, people were open and interested. Many questions were aimed at clarification and understanding."

Another focus was on community participation. On the basis of the new acceptance law, at least 5,500 euros per megawatt of installed capacity or 0.3 ct/kWh for the new plants are to flow to the municipalities concerned. For the town of Jerichow, this means up to €200,000 per year - earmarked for cultural or infrastructure projects, for example.

Next steps in the process

The submission of the application for approval is planned for 2027. A decision is expected in 2028. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in 2030.

Zaruba drew a positive conclusion from the information event: "The format with topic tables and an open question and answer session was very well received. We would like to use this dialog-oriented concept at other locations in the future."