Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The wind power industry in Slovakia is at odds with environmental protection regulations, blaming strict rules and slow bureaucracy for the lack of projects.
While a study by the Slovak Association of the Photovoltaic Industry shows that roughly 20% of Slovakia is suitable for building wind farms, only two projects have been completed thus far, according to DW reporting on Thursday.
Industry group head Ján Karaba called on the government to step up its support for wind power and noted that implementation of projects is behind Slovakia’s wind energy plan for the period up to 2030.
The government noted that public pushback is the main reason for lack of progress, pointing out that local communities frequently push back against planned wind power projects.
“The inhabitants are usually concerned about vibrations and the visual impact on the landscape, while they themselves usually cannot benefit from the wind farms near them,” the Ministry of Environment pointed out in a statement.
On the other hand, industry representatives blame strict environmental rules for delays, stressing that environmental impact assessment (EIA) takes years to complete and calling on the government to relax the rules.
“There could have been new wind farms near Nitra, another one close to Trnovec nad Váhom… investors are interested in numerous locations but none of these projects will be realized in the next four years because of the incredibly long EIA process,” Karaba stressed.
Strict environmental protection rules
He pointed out that environmental impact assessment in Slovakia is among the strictest in the EU, while the Ministry of Environment says it is merely following EU rules and points out that locals must be involved in the process to ensure thoroughness and objectivity.
The ministry reminded that projects classified as green can be detrimental to the environment, noting that “a poorly situated wind power plant can have a visual impact on the landscape, cause noise pollution, result in visual intrusion and pose a threat to birds.”
In addition, the ministry stressed that government bodies are not responsible for delays, reminding that they must adhere to strict deadlines.
It concluded that investors are often to blame for delays as they can take years to prepare documentation needed to launch projects.
