At various stages of research, coordination and commencement of construction, there are currently 8 wind farms with 168 power plants on the outskirts of Ventspils. The expected background pollution caused by the operation of wind turbines threatens the quality of observations of the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center, and the National Armed Forces also should be wary, as wind generators can affect naval and air military radars.
Neatkarīgā has already reported that several companies in Ventspils region want to install wind generators of unprecedented size in Latvia. Existing generators seem very high - their rotor blades rotate at a height of 100 meters. But the new poles will be twice as big. According to the announced plans, they will reach a height of 250 meters. This means that it will be visible from virtually anywhere in North Kurzeme. In addition, the project with the largest number of power plants plans for their location to be on state forest land. So the trees will be cut down and concrete will be poured in their place.
15 million invested in antennas
Local people are collecting signatures against such plans because they are concerned about significant landscape pollution, possible damage to health and the environment, and also from an economic point of view - so-called green energy production is only possible because it is subsidized by taxpayers' money through mandatory procurement component in electricity rates or a similar scheme. Under fair market competition conditions, it would be uncompetitive.
The windmill forest on the outskirts of Ventspils has another counterargument and that is the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center. Located in Irbene - about 30 kilometers from the city there are two radio telescopes. The RT-32 parabolic radio telescope with the titular diameter of 32 meters is the largest in Northern Europe and the eighth largest in the world. The second antenna RT-16 - smaller by half. Both are used for scientific purposes. Observations of interstellar environmental objects, solar radio observations, radiolocation of asteroids and near-Earth artificial bodies, including cosmic debris, especially large-base interferometry observations of objects outside the solar system. In the last decade, about 15 million euros have been invested in the modernization of the radio astronomy center. But if Ventspils is planted with huge rotors, the quality of observations made in Irbene may deteriorate. This is predicted by scientists.
Irbene needs silence
Aleksejs Klokovs, director of the Radio Astronomy Center, explained the essence of the problem to Neatkarīgā. The principle of operation of a radio telescope is the reception of a weak signal from space. Any equipment in the environment also emits electromagnetic signals - telephones, ships, cars, airplanes.
Wind turbines also transmit their own signal, plus their rotor blades also reflect all the surrounding signals and noises. And in this whole jumble of sound, scientists have to notice the real signal coming from the object under study in space.
Therefore, there is a defined zone of silence around Irbene with a radius of 8 kilometers. However, this safety buffer will not be enough if 250-meter-high wind stations are launched on the outskirts of Ventspils. Especially in such large numbers. Aleksejs Klokovs says that the center has conducted several studies, assessed the risks that may arise from the operation of wind turbines near Irbene, and found that disturbances in observations are possible: “We are scientists, engineers and that is what we do - we assess the risks. We cannot ban airplanes and ships. But wind turbines are a risk to our work, and better not to have them around at all. That is why we are already located deep in the forest. This problem is relevant in all observatories around the world. The quality of the observations is declining."
Military radars must also be protected
Currently, two wind farm projects with a total of 14 poles have been submitted to the residents of Ventspils region for public discussion, the third is waiting for the government's green light for another 61 power plants. A study by local activists on the plans of wind businessmen shows that there are currently a total of 8 wind farms with 168 power plants on the outskirts of Ventspils at various stages of research, coordination and construction. That's a huge amount. And the Radio Astronomy Center is not the only institution that has reason to worry about impending background pollution.
The national armed forces have naval radars along the entire coast of Latvia, as well as air radars. And in their immediate vicinity grand construction work is not allowed. On September 9, representatives of the Ministry of Defense met with representatives of the Wind Energy Association and the Ministry of Economics to discuss the issue.
The wind lacks supporters
At the meeting, the Ministry of Defense provided information on the currently imposed restrictions around the objects of the National Armed Forces. According to the press service: “The meeting did not discuss the importance of specific defense objects, but the territorial and policy planning process in general, especially the need to reconcile business and national defense interests. The Ministry of Defense informed that functional protection zones have been established at the level of Cabinet regulations, the purpose of which is to protect the National Armed Forces' sea and air radars, military landfills and airfields from tall buildings, large buildings, ski hills, observation towers, wind farms, light-emitting objects, and other facilities that could interfere with the operation of the facility or pose certain security risks."
The current regulation does not automatically exclude the possibility of developing certain construction projects in functional protection zones, however, then it is necessary to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Defense.
It is possible that in this case the interests of Ventspils city and county residents will coincide with the interests of science and military. On the coast of North Kurzeme, a large number of very high wind power plants are not needed on land.
It is not for nothing that the Ministry of Economics itself has established that in the future wind energy extraction should be developed deeper in the sea, away from the eyes of the people. It is the most expensive to build at sea, but public resistance to the development of offshore wind farms is the smallest. And there is plenty enough wind in the sea.