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Estonian watchdog demanding that Eleon Green remove wind turbine blades at Aidu wind farm

BC, Tallinn, 11.02.2020.Print version
The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority on Monday made an injunction to Eleon Green, headed by brothers Andres and Oleg Sonajalg, to remove the blades of wind turbine number 5 erected at Aidu wind farm as the watchdog finds that even when not working, the blades interfere with the work capacity of the national defense advance warning system, informed LETA/BNS.

Since March 2019, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority has conducted thorough supervision proceedings regarding the Aidu wind farm, analyzed the impact assessments of the wind turbines provided by the developer, considered compromise proposals and repeatedly reviewed threat assessments held by the Ministry of Defense.


The watchdog said that, from the perspective of the functioning of the advance warning system of the defense forces, it is of critical importance that the work capacity of the national defense advance warning systems is guaranteed.


"During the proceedings, it has been determined that the threat to national security is real and has already been realized, the wind turbines erected at Aidu wind farm are interfering with the work of the national defense advance warning systems and it will take several years to purchase an additional radar. Since national security is a priority and no solution proposed by the developer today eliminates the threat to national security, the blades of windmill number 5 must be removed," Kati Tamtik, head of the construction department of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, said.


According to the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, the watchdog has been communicating closely with Eleon Green OU during the proceedings and upon the developer's request has allowed only work ensuring the safety of the wind turbines to be carried out during the construction ban.


"The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority has been continuously going to the site to assess the situation and, unfortunately, has noticed that despite the the authority's ban on construction activities, additional warnings and the imposition of a penalty payment, the developer has continued construction work during the building ban that constitutes further construction of a wind turbine, not just ensuring its safety," Tamtik said.


Tamtik added that signs indicate that the developer is preparing to launch the wind turbine.


In September 2019, the watchdog made an injunction forbidding the construction of wind turbines number 4 and 5 erected at Aidu wind farm. The developer contested the injunction in court but withdrew the complaint at a court sitting held in early February. This means that the watchdog's prior injunction regarding the suspension of construction activity was valid and cannot be contested anymore.


With the injunction made on Monday, the further construction of Aidu wind turbines number 4 and 5 in a way that is inconsistent with the solution coordinated by the Ministry of Defense is still forbidden. "The task of government agencies is the protection of the interests of the state and in this case, the wind turbine construction activity jeopardizes national security. The role of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority as a safety authority is to interfere in a situation like this," Kaur Kajak, director general of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, said.


According to the thematic plan of the Aidu wind farm and the coordination of the Ministry of Defense, the developer of the Aidu wind farm is allowed to erect Vestas V112 turbines that are up to 185 meters in height from the existing ground. 


However, according to the watchdog, Eleon Green has started erecting alleged Eleon 3M116 type turbines with an estimated height of 200 meters at Aidu wind farm, with crushed stone beds with a height of 20 meters established under the turbines for which the developer does not have proper documentation.


According to the watchdog, the total height of wind turbines number 4 and 5 from the existing ground is 220 meters. The planned wind farm is located in the work area of national defense advance warning systems and this is why the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority says that adhering to the allowed parameters of the wind turbines is of vital importance. The watchdog has also identified that the erected wind turbines do not follow the project documents that served as the basis for their construction.






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