Brecht (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Brecht municipality, action committee Stop Windmills Brecht, and Alderman Daan De Veuster appeal Flemish Minister Jo Brouns’ permit for three 236m Aspiravi turbines, citing impacts on residents, wildlife, and shadow flicker.
As VRT News reported, the municipality of Brecht, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and a local action committee have appealed the environmental permit for 3 new wind turbines along the E19 motorway. The permit was approved by Flemish Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V). Aspiravi has operated 3 turbines at this site for 13 years, producing green energy.
The company now plans to remove these turbines and install larger, more modern ones. The new turbines can generate more electricity. Residents and the action committee say the project could have serious effects on people living nearby and on local wildlife.
“The new wind turbines will be 236 meters tall, with 90-meter blades. That’s enormous.”
Felix Quirijnen, Action Committee Stop Windmills Brecht
What impact will Brecht’s 236m turbines have on residents and wildlife?
Officials mentioned that a main concern is that one turbine is planned in the 2nd row, farther from the highway. This change could affect the landscape and increase noise for residents. Experts also warn that birds and bats may be at risk because of the new turbine locations. The action committee says these impacts need careful review. They are calling for a full re-examination of the permit.
“They will be 236 meters tall, instead of the current ones, which are 165 meters tall. With 90-meter blades. That’s enormous,”
says Quirijnen.
The council had previously issued a negative recommendation against repowering the site, which involves replacing existing turbines with larger, modern ones. Alderman Daan De Veuster said the project is more than a simple upgrade.
“This isn’t just about repowering,”
he said.
“The new turbines will be much taller, and one of them will be placed on a second line. It will be about 500 meters from a residential area, which is not very far.”
“We explicitly ask that the burden be spread across all of Flanders, and we do not have that impression now.”
Daan De Veuster (now 2960), first alderman of Brecht
De Veuster added that a recent study shows almost half of the Brecht-Centrum district could be affected by shadow flicker from the turbines. There are also several important areas nearby with a variety of bird species.
“The effect on the habitat of residents and on local flora and fauna will certainly be significant,”
he said.
The council emphasised that the municipality is not against green energy.
“The existing turbines can remain. But we want the costs and impact to be shared across all of Flanders. In Brecht, Wuustwezel, and Hoogstraten, there are already many turbines along the E19. There has to be a limit somewhere.”
Similar wind turbine projects have taken place in Belgium and Europe in recent years. Older turbines are often replaced with larger, more modern models to produce more electricity without using extra land. In Belgium, the Storm wind farm in Meer and the Thorntonbank offshore wind farm have both been upgraded to increase energy capacity. In the Netherlands, the Windplan Groen project in Flevoland replaced 98 old turbines with 90 stronger ones, raising the total output from 168 MW to around 500 MW.
