Czech town Moravská Třebová postpones decision on wind turbines, awaits study

The Czech town of Moravská Třebová in the Svitavy region has postponed its decision on the construction of wind turbines within its municipal territory. It has requested, among other things, a noise study from the investor. The study could be completed in the first half of this year, representatives of the town and the company told ČTK. S& M CZ Jevíčko wants to build four wind turbines in the local district of Boršov.

"There was a lengthy discussion; the investor presented the project at the meeting and answered questions from councillors and members of the public present. In the end, the council voted to postpone consideration in order to supplement the proposal with more detailed information," Deputy Mayor Václav Dokoupil (KDU-ČSL) said.

S& M CZ Jevíčko must demonstrate how it has resolved property rights with landowners. The company is also working on a noise study. "The discussion was meaningful. Arguments were made for and against. Wind turbine noise is a myth. No one would take out financing only for a turbine to then be shut down due to noise that would prevent its operation. We have been operating turbines since 2003," chief executive Martin Hofman said.

The land on which the company wants to build the turbines belongs to private owners. The towers should not stand on the ridge, but on the slope below it towards Moravská Třebová. Each turbine should have a capacity of seven megawatts (MW), while the height including the rotor blades would reach 250 metres.

The investor is offering benefits in return for the opportunity to operate wind turbines. "Every large structure somehow disrupts the character of the landscape; if we consider the Eiffel Tower, there was great opposition to it. Today, it is the pride of Paris. We are offering the town 1.2 million Czech crowns for each wind turbine. The main goal is community energy, so that residents can benefit from it," Hofman said. Another meeting with the town should take place by the middle of the year.

S& M CZ Jevíčko operates several wind farms in the Svitavy and Ústí nad Orlicí regions. For example, it built the most powerful turbine to date near Žipotín, a local district of the municipality of Gruna in the Svitavy region, with an installed capacity of 4.2 MW.