With the arrival of 45 extra tall wind turbines, Drenthe would have enough wind-generated power to provide electricity for most of the province.
Translation by Traci White
RTV Drenthe reports that the turbines, which are 210.5 meters from base to the tips of the rotor blades, are planned to be placed near Tweede Exloërmond, Nieuw-Buinen, Gasselternijveen and Drouwenermond. The wider area is better known as the Veenkolonien, referring to the peat bogs which used to be common in the region.
The wind turbine model which should be built in Drenthe is the Nordex 131. The rotor piece has a diameter of 131 metres, the shaft is 145 metres tall, and the turbines should be able to generate 15 million kilowatt hours of electricity. That roughly the amount used by 5,000 homes in a year. Once all 45 wind turbines are on the grid, they ought to be producing enough energy to power 225,000 homes annually: there are 216,000 homes in Drenthe.
Less noise and less radiation
The turbines should come online by the end of 2020. The organisations behind the wind park area are Duurzame Energieproductie Exloërmond B.V., Raedthuys Windenergie and Vereniging windpark Oostermoer. The Nordex 131 model was reportedly chosen because it is fairly quiet and emits less electromagnetic radiation. The latter feature is important for Drenthe in particular: the province is also home to ASTRON’s Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), a large radio antennae network.
The development of wind power in Drenthe and Groningen has faced opposition over the years. Last month, the Dutch National Anti-Terrorism and Safety Coordinator warned that “wind turbine terrorism” could target the land owners and developers of the projects.
