Photo: RWE
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A wind farm in Germany is being dismantled to expand the Garzweiler lignite mine. One of eight turbines installed at the location in 2001 has already been removed. Nevertheless, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said it would phase out coal by 2030, as did RWE, the company that owns the mine.
Wind turbines near the Garzweiler open pit mine in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, run by German energy giant RWE, is being removed to make way for more lignite exploitation.
The turbines were in operation since 2001, and government subsidies have expired. Energiekontor and wpd, which is also active in the Balkans, operate the wind farm.
It is unknown how long the deconstruction would take. So far, one wind turbine has been removed.
Lignite for electricity production will be extracted where the wind turbines are now located
Garzweiler’s annual production is 25 million tonnes, according to RWE. It estimated that lignite reserves in the area could last until 2045. The fuel is mostly supplied to the nearby Neurat thermal power plant.
The excavation was initially limited to an area of 66 square kilometers in the Garzweiler 1 area. The complex was extended in 2006 to the Garzweiler 2 sector over an area of 48 square kilometers.
Displacement due to coal mine expansion
The population from several municipalities in the area west of Cologne had to be relocated due to the Grazweiler mine expansion. In addition to the location of the wind farm, RWE is taking an area in and around the small town of Lützerath. It will be completely evicted and demolished.
The town has become a symbolic battlefield for climate activists in Germany.
The decision to demolish Lützerath was made in accordance with the country’s new coal policy to temporarily increase the use of lignitefor electricity production during the energy crisis, Clean Energy Wire reported.
Nevertheless, North Rhine-Westphalia has announced it would stop using fossil fuels by 2030, as did RWE.
This is a wind park close to the German coal mine Garzweiler. It's getting deconstructed for more coal mining! Because the german government (with Greens as part of the coalition locally and nationally) gave in to the demands of the fossil fuel industry. You cannot make this up. pic.twitter.com/VwDAwgLlHs
— Johannes Fehr (@JohannesFehr) October 20, 2022
The court in the German town of Münster ruled this year in favor of expanding the mine. Climate activists opposed to the plans called the decision cynical and hypocritical.
The court found that no alternative surface mines would meet the necessary demand for lignite. Security of supply is currently the priority while “climate protection remains one of the key challenges of our time,” RWE pointed out and declared it seeks to support both, the article adds.
Security of supply is currently the priority, according to RWE
The Ministry of Economy of North Rhine-Westphalia elaborated on the paradoxical situation, saying the move would enable the recultivation of former coal pits, the shutdown of Garzweiler and a coal phaseout.
“If Lützerath were to be preserved, the production volume required to maintain the security of supply over the next eight years could not be achieved, the stability of the opencast mine could not be guaranteed and the necessary recultivation could not be carried out,” it said.
Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck has said negotiations on the country’s coal phaseout were underway with operators of other mines and eight thermal power plants.
Well done
Yes good idea, don’t rely on russian oil and gas as much. You were warned by trump
Great. Good to see common sense returning to our policy makers
There are a few hundred other wind farms that should meet the same fate.
/DrF
Great to see that countries can see that they need balance the supply of renewables ,fossil fuel helps to keep the lights on ,
Hey James, Trump was very late to warn them. These things need decades of planning, they could do nothing much in 4(?) Years.
Hey George ,
What James is saying about Trump is right , same as what you are saying about timelines is correct
All countries should be self-reliant, it does take decades but the planners are 100% responsible here , they’ve been paralysed by extreme left activists who want global chaos , so now we have it , WEF agenda to benefit who? Not us , that’s for sure .
As usual follow the big money .
I wish we could encourage a power-generating company with real guts to set up in Australia!! We are DOOMED, our socialist governments both federal and state are blindly following the “renewables” path to destruction!!
This incredible situation has been caused by Germanys idiotic decision to close their perfectly functioning and safe nuclear power plants.
A knee jerk reaction to the Fukushima incident, that sets their climate action measures back by decades.
Small nuclear reactors are safe and are the immediate answer to reducing carbon emissions from the power industry.
It is a nice move,keep it up
I agree ! Cheers
That Twitter guy that seems incredulous about the move is the funniest part of the already funny story. Clearly a leftist.
It’s got nothing to do with the “demands of the fossil fuel industry” but with the demands of the people to not freeze this winter. A couple of fruity propellers clearly can’t do the trick.
Simple business decision. Subsidies ran out from 2001, more money to be made in lignite now. What did you expect? They put up these now dated and underpowered wind turbine just to make a buck at the time as the location is ill suited for high wind power generation.
The article seems to only reference the number of wind generators up for destruction is 8 with 1 taken down so far. Seems like a very local decision to handle a specific problem.
Wonderful to hear COMMON SENSE has prevailed. If only Albo and Chris Bowen could have this info drummed into their heads in Australia, we may see the return of COMMON SENSE.
The present Australian government, particularly the Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, reminds me of a herd of lemmings heading for the cliff, taking us along with them!
Bwahahahaha! Maybe Hillary and Weinstein can watch. Wheel their pha tasses out there to soak it up.
Some lessons are best learned the hard way.
As EU parliament where Germany is represented sabotages efforts by developing countries including Uganda to explore own natural resources including oil so as to get funds to develop her own people, the same Germany is expanding coal fields and EU Parliament is mum. Arrogance or hypocrisy?
Why are we worried. All the boys are off on a Jolly to Egypt. PROBLEM SOLVED.I think NOT.
Small nucear reactors (much as I detest them) are the only realistic way to help save the Planet
Use google maps and see that the town of Lützerath is just 3 or 4 houses and a few barns. It’s not like they are displacing dozens of families, the school, Central Park and town hall in some picaresque village.
Sick of seeing these climate change deniers spewing bullshit talking points for the coal industry, obvious astroturf
Steve-132 – that’s a straight up lie. Did you actually look at a map? Here you go: https://www.google.com/maps/place/56826+Lutzerath,+Germany/@50.1264812,6.9990199,1323m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x47be36071412e5eb:0xcb2fd09b6a2a609f!8m2!3d50.1266815!4d7.0075042!16sm02v_d9r?entry=ttu