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Wind turbines in Brandenburg: More space for new wheels?
Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa
Fewer radio beacons, more wind turbines: In order to create more space for the expansion of wind power on land, the German air traffic control system is to be provided with funds for the conversion of so-called rotary radio beacons, explained the Ministry of Economics.
Rotary radio beacons are navigation systems for air traffic that can be disturbed by wind turbines.
In order to avoid these impairments, wind turbines are often not permitted in the vicinity of rotary radio beacons.
Air traffic control is now to largely convert aviation navigation to satellite-based procedures.
The radio beacons on the ground that are no longer needed could then be dismantled, which should create more space for the expansion of wind energy.
Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) said that additional space would be available for the construction of wind turbines with an output of around 700 megawatts.
For comparison: According to industry information in Germany, onshore wind turbines with a total output of 1,431 megawatts were added in 2020.
The German air traffic control can start with the support with the support already this year with the conversion, so Altmaier.
Deutsche Flugsicherung put the funding for the modernization of the remaining navigation systems at 14 million euros.
According to its own information, DFS will convert all approach and departure procedures at more than 60 German airports to satellite-based area navigation by 2030.
In the future, DFS could do without the majority of the 55 rotary radio beacons in use today, said DFS Technical Director Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge.
With the use of satellite navigation, only a third of today's rotary radio beacons will be required - as a failure infrastructure if the GPS data is not available.
From the point of view of the wind industry and many politicians, the expansion of onshore wind power is not progressing fast enough.
The reasons are long planning and approval lawsuits, many lawsuits and insufficiently designated areas.
The federal government wants to tighten its climate targets, which many experts believe will require even more wind turbines.
mic / dpa-afx