Purtse wind abundance dispute might end in a settlement
According to the Tartu Credit Union, the five wind turbines at Enefit Green's Purtse wind farm are taking wind away from their own five turbines. The matter has reached the courts, but the parties may also arrive at an out-of-court settlement.
When Enefit Green opened its Purtse wind farm in 2023, the Tartu Credit Union's turbines in the area had already been turning wind into profit for several years. According to the Tartu Credit Union, the new turbines built by the state-owned company, which are more powerful than initially planned, are taking wind from their turbines.
"Enefit Green is, of course, taking away wind, and it is clear that Enefit Green will have to start compensating the credit union, and in significant amounts. This is because they placed their turbines in a location where they shouldn't have. And whenever you do something like that and harm the interests of others, you have to compensate for it," said Harry Raudvere, chairman of the supervisory board of the Tartu Credit Union.
The unique situation in Estonia's wind energy market, where one developer's turbines are overshadowing another's, serves as a valuable lesson for all developers, according to Terje Talv, CEO of the Estonian Wind Energy Association.
"All parks with new developments and shared borders with others are now better prepared, and they work together to find the best solution. I hope we won't see this kind of situation again in Estonia. A developer's goal is to erect turbines and start generating energy, not to spend time, money and energy on court cases and other issues," Talv said.
The dispute over the Purtse wind farm has reached the courts, but the parties involved have not ruled out the possibility of an out-of-court settlement.
"Compromise negotiations are ongoing, and certain figures have already been agreed. I can say that these figures are not small for the credit union – I'm quite satisfied in that regard," said Raudvere.
Enefit Green confirmed that negotiations are proceeding constructively, and they hope to reach an agreement soon.
In addition to its five turbines at Purtse, which have a total capacity of 21 MW, Enefit Green also operates a solar park with 49,000 panels (total capacity of 32 MW) at the site, making it a hybrid park.
For the Tartu Credit Union, the five turbines at Purtse – named Aadu, Peedu, Tseedu, Teedu and Eedu – form the first phase of the Varja wind farm. While these turbines have a capacity of 10 MW, the entire Varja wind farm is planned to have a total capacity of 225 MW.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marcus Turovski
