Investor plans wind farm in Czechia's Jeseník region; referendums to decide project

VTE Jeseník, part of the First Wind group, plans to build a wind farm with up to ten turbines near the municipalities of Bernartice, Kobylá nad Vidnavkou and Velká Kraš in the Jeseník region. Local residents will decide the fate of the investment plan in referendums this autumn. In Bernartice and Kobylá, the votes will be held alongside elections to the Chamber of Deputies. CTK learned this today from information published by the Interior Ministry and a press release from VTE Jeseník.

The company has offered municipalities in the Rychlebské Mountains foothills compensation for hosting the turbines.

The investor plans to build five turbines in Bernartice, four in Kobylá and one wind turbine in Velká Kraš. “This number is based on a thorough analysis of the area, which took into account geographic conditions and the site’s wind potential, recommendations from biological experts, the required distance from residential areas, and the capacity of the electricity grid,” VTE Jeseník said. The turbines are to be 203 metres tall. The wind farm is planned to have a maximum total capacity of 42.5 megawatts.

However, some local residents oppose the project. Referendums will therefore be held in Bernartice and Kobylá in October. Residents will be asked whether they agree that the municipality should not cooperate in building wind power plants on its territory. They will also say whether the local authorities should take all necessary steps to terminate contracts relating to the planned wind power plants that they have signed so far.

First Wind board member Tomáš Hardt said that even if residents approve the project, it will still undergo a technical assessment of its environmental impact, noise, nature protection and grid connection. “A referendum is not a building permit. It is more like a green light at the first traffic signal. It means people support the project and elected representatives have a strong mandate to continue negotiations on the specific terms,” he said.

VTE Jeseník has offered compensation consisting of payments to residents and contributions to municipal budgets. Every adult resident of Bernartice and Kobylá would receive 10,000 crowns a year. In Velká Kraš, where one turbine is planned, the amount would be half that. Municipalities would receive 500,000 crowns a year for each power plant. Bernartice would therefore receive 2.5 million crowns a year, Kobylá two million crowns and Velká Kraš half a million. The company plans to make the payments throughout the wind farm’s 25-year operating life. They would be adjusted for inflation.

Investors are planning to build new wind power plants mainly in the northern part of the Olomouc Region, where conditions are favourable for generating electricity from this renewable source. Many local authorities have already signed contracts with investors and will therefore receive millions of crowns for their budgets in the coming years, as well as cheaper electricity for households. In some municipalities, however, investors’ plans have met with opposition from local residents. The planned acceleration zones are expected to speed up wind farm construction and are also due to be established in the Olomouc Region.