Preparations for the dismantling of the wind farm have begun

Topical  / Listerfehrda / 30.06.2021

The old facilities are due to be dismantled in the autumn. There is still a lot to do before then.

Preparations are underway for the dismantling of seven 100-metre-high E-40/6.44 wind turbines at the Elster Repowering wind farm. The aim is to completely dismantle the ageing turbines. This includes not only the obvious parts such as the tower, nacelle and rotor blades, but also the deep foundations, surrounding parking areas and access roads.

A reptile fence for the sand lizard
Over the years, the terrain and vegetation around the facilities have adapted to the natural situation. Some of the areas have developed into valuable habitats, particularly important for breeding birds of the open landscape. Sand lizards have also been found in the new habitats.

To ensure that construction equipment and transport can reach the wind turbine sites without disturbing the sand lizards, deterrent measures were carried out in the early spring of 2021. This included cutting back and felling woody plants where necessary, and regular mowing of the future construction areas. This is necessary to make the site naturally unattractive to the animals and to encourage them to move to other areas. The entire area was surveyed by conservation experts in advance to protect the flora and fauna. This included looking for hollow trees or trees that provide shelter for birds or bats.

During the summer, experts also search the construction sites for sand lizards. If any are found, then they are carefully relocated to a nearby or newly created habitat. A reptile fence is erected around the new area and the construction site. This prevents the animals from accidentally moving back into the construction area and ensures that the protected area is clearly visible at all times.

So what’s next in the schedule?
Regular mowing will continue into September, the construction areas will also be searched for sand lizards in the second half of the summer, and we will see if the sand lizards are doing well in their new home. In October, we plan to construct the road and upgrade the original crane parking areas, so that we can start removing the old facilities in November. By March 2022, we aim to have excavated the foundations and removed the paths and car parks. We also plan to implement further compensation and substitution measures from next spring. More information will be available later this year.

 

Sand lizard habitat

Fenced wooded area

Reptile fence along road

Reptile fence along road

Fenced construction site

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