Energy, Estonia, Legislation

The sought location, the moorland area of Nurme, had been put forward by the municipality and the negative decision mainly was a result of opposition from local peat extracting companies.

Originally Eurowind had been planning to build the wind farm in Urge village.

As regards the plan to build the wind farm on Nurme Moor, peat extracting companies AS Nurme Turvas and OU ASB Greenworld informed the municipality that they will not agree to the plan to build turbines on the moor as that will undermine their rights.

The planned wind farm's territory would have partially overlapped with peatlands and according to the peat mining companies a wind farm could be built there only after the natural resource has been exhausted. The stock of peat at Nurme is estimated to suffice for decades to come.

It has also been argued that construction of wind turbines would mix up different layers of peat and make extraction more difficult. The Environmental Board agreed, refusing its approval to the planning permit.

Sonajalg said that Eurowind's long-term plan was to build the wind farm in Urge village and the company had concluded land rental agreements with 40 landowners there. "The municipality began demanding that the wind farm be erected on a moor, where allegedly there were no obstacles, either environmental or social," he said.

Eurowind is planning to build wind farms also elsewhere in Parnu county. The areas it has been eyeing are peatlands at Tootsi and Lavassaare. 

Sonajalg said that problems similar to the ones they encountered at Nurme moor may now arise also at Lavassaare.