Air traffic control and wind industry cooperate
The air navigation service provider Skyguide and the industry association Suisse Eole are joining forces: They want to coordinate air safety and new wind farms.
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"The cooperation between wind turbine project developers and Skyguide is developing very positively," explained Catherine Huguenin, who is responsible for wind energy at Skyguide. Matthias Fries, technical expert at Skyguide, explains:" Because of their considerable size, wind turbines are a very important issue for us. As physical obstacles, they can interfere with our flight procedures. Since they also reflect the radio waves of air traffic control systems, they can severely interfere with important systems such as radars or flight control systems. However, many problems are solvable." It is important, he said, that project developers and authorities inform Skyguide as early as possible. The company, which is responsible for aviation safety, is investing 15 million Swiss francs in new radars that can be better coordinated with wind turbines. Skyguide is also engaged in an intensive exchange on the subject of wind energy with experts from Europe and the USA to ensure that the latest industry standards are applied in Switzerland.
100 new plants until 2025
"We are pleased to be able to hold our second industry seminar with Skyguide on September 8," said Reto Rigassi, managing director of Suisse Eolethe association for the promotion of wind energy in Switzerland. Wind energy makes an important contribution to the energy supply, especially in the winter months. Suisse Eole has set itself the goal of having 100 wind turbines producing electricity in Switzerland by 2025.
The view of the federal government
Representatives of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Skyguide's supervisory authority, were also involved in the seminar. They showed how the interests of wind energy are taken into account in the approval process for the erection of aviation obstacles, which include wind turbines. An expert from France presented solutions that could allow wind turbines to coexist with technical air traffic control equipment. Furthermore, an expert from the Air Force provided insight into military surveillance systems and the resulting issues in the development of wind energy projects.
Source: Suisse Eole
