On Wednesday, November 20th, the company EE Malmedy had the opportunity to present to the local residents its preliminary project to install six wind turbines during a public information meeting.
At this stage, the preliminary design considers 6 machines of a maximum heights of 180 meters and a maximum power of 5 MW per wind turbine.
The environmental impact study must clearly identify the final configuration of the park to minimise impacts.
One of the singularities of EE Malmedy is that it is also a manufacturer of state-of-the-art wind-turbines.
It is important to remember that a public information meeting is a high point, wanted by the Walloon legislator, intended to kick off the environmental impact study. It also allows the public to comment the project.
The idea is that citizens and residents can:
- Receive information related to this preliminary project,
- Ask questions,
- Make comments and suggestions,
- Propose alternatives that can reasonably be studied by the consulting firm in charge of the environmental impact study, in this case, SERTIUS.
Context
Recall that the phase out of nuclear power is scheduled for 2025.
The question of the “energy transition” which must lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is central and animates the debates.
The Belgian targets aims to reach 23.6% of renewable energies in the Walloon energy mix by 2030.
In this clearly defined context, projects integrating renewable energies are of great importance. Wind energy, at the heart of an energy mix, is a mature technology that respects the environment. It is also displayed as a safe investment.
The Malmedian project
The preliminary draft presented during the public information meeting concerns the construction and operation of 6 wind turbines located in the territory of the town of Malmedy.
The draft proposed by the company EE Malmedy respects the constraints of distances to housing and infrastructure as recommended by the Walloon Region.
The selected site has many advantages for wind development starting with an excellent wind resource (opening to prevailing winds), a low population density near the location of the park, an available area and a proximity to the electrical network.
In addition, the project is located near a motorway (E42) and in the forest, which limits the visual impact by the presence of a natural plant mask. It must be noted that the CoDT, which is effective since 1 June 2017, takes up forest areas as suitable for the installation of wind turbines under certain conditions.
The maximum estimated production of the 6 wind turbines is 69 GWh per year, which is equivalent to an annual average consumption of 20,000 Walloon households (based on a consumption of 3,500 kWh / year).
These 6 wind turbines will also prevent the emission of more than 31,500 CO2 tonnes per year (CWaPE data compared to a reference combined cycle gas turbine), which is the equivalent of the emissions of more than 13,500 cars.
A Walloon expert partner
To be closer to the local specificities, EE Malmedy benefits from WattElse consultancy services which is specialised in the development of renewable energy production projects and in energy strategy. In this project WattElse oversees the procedures for obtaining the permit.