After a long period of intensive preparations, testing and cooperation, the Bovenwind Wind Farm in the Dutch municipality of Staphorst, has been officially handed over to energy cooperative Wij Duurzaam Staphorst (WDS).
The wind farm comprises three E-138 EP3 E3 wind turbines from Enercon. The wind farm is the first Dutch wind farm to receive these wind turbines with E-Nacelle, an innovative machine house with built-in electrical systems. The wind turbines have a rotor diameter of 138 meters, a hub height of 131 meters and a tip height of 198 meters. Together, the three wind turbines generate an average of 42.4 GWh annually.
The keys were symbolically handed over to Erik Petter, director of Wij Windenergie Staphorst B.V. (WWS), by Gert Jan van Buiten of ENERCON on Friday, August 9. In addition, Stefan Buning of ENERCON handed over an apple tree to the WWS. This tree symbolizes the growth of the project that is now beginning to bear fruit. With the official hand over, WWS now officially owns the wind farm, a milestone in the sustainable energy transition of the municipality of Staphorst.
Realizing sustainable energy projects, especially when they are locally rooted, requires the necessary investments. The Bovenwind wind farm was able to come about thanks to the unique support of local entrepreneurs, and at a later stage, a close-knit group of the nearly 400 members, many of whom also contributed financially.
A long road to success
Since the establishment of the cooperative in 2018, a lot of hard work has gone into developing and realizing Bovenwind with the ambition to ensure 100% local ownership. A 100% cooperative project from development onwards has not or rarely been seen on this scale in the Netherlands. In addition to local certificate holders, the water authority Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta is also involved as a shareholder. ASN Groenprojectenfonds contributed with funding, while Dutch consultancy Pondera guided WWS throughout the process.
The wind farm was developed in cooperation with ENERCON. After construction, the turbines were extensively tested and all systems achieved the required performance. These tests confirm that the turbines are working properly and are ready for full operation. Although the acquisition is now official, the wind farm remains under close supervision for the time being. The measuring instruments used during the testing phase will remain in place for some time to ensure ongoing monitoring and optimization of the turbines’ performance. Source: WDS
