Specialized seminar in the Olomouc Region
Specialized seminar on wind energy took place on 24th June in the premises of the Regional Authority in the town of Olomouc. This was a continuation of a series of thematic regional events organized by the Czech Society for Wind Energy that is a professional association covering the field of wind energy within the Czech Republic. The seminars were aimed to familiarize wide public with the present situation related to the field of wind energy in the Czech Republic and abroad. Conditions for wind energy development differs from region to region. Whereas new managements of some regional units liberalize progressively their attitudes to wind-power plants' construction, the other often look for and establish various limiting issues and finally, owing to these issues, the possible development of the wind-power plants' construction is being de facto paralysed.
The seminar that took place last week in the premises of the Regional Authority of the Olomouc Region was especially focused on licence-system-employees of the Authorities and investors preparing projects of WPP within the Olomouc Region. In the Olomouc Region a restrictive attitude to the wind-power plants' construction begins to develop gradually. The Authorities of the Olomouc Region, as well as the Regional Authority itself, did not place any significant barriers to the process of preparation and to the wind-power plants' realization in the area of its region, which was up to the end of 2007. Everything proceeded under rules of law related to regional and building control, and also according to EIA. However, the situation during last months has changed together with an oncoming of the Territorial Study Wind-power Plant located in the area of the Olomouc Region, and nowadays providers of constructions face often new barriers.
The Olomouc seminar was opened by Mr. Ing. Pavel Horák with an introductory speech, as well as by a deputy of regional commissioner with a gestion for the field of regional development, living environment and agriculture.
Ing. Horák (in the background) opens the seminar
First specialized lecture was given by Mr. Mgr. Michal Janeček, Chairman of the ČSVE, who summarized previous development in the field of wind energy abroad and in the Czech Republic. This lecture was followed by a presentation given by a Vice-Chairman of the Association, Mr. Ing. Pavel Prchal, who presented the potential and natural limits of the wind energy development in the area of the Olomouc Region. He demonstrated an influence of protective zones presented within the Territorial Study Wind-power Plant located in the area of the Olomouc Region. These zones are impeding the already complicated construction of wind-power plants. Then the discussion was opened and practical experience of investors was confronted with a drawn attention of Regional Authority's deputies to the fact that the Territorial Study shall be understood as a recommending one and that each Building Authority may evaluate suitability of a particular project in a particular location by its own. This was an important piece of knowledge for the ČSVE and it holds up our hopes that even in case of newly declared protective zones we will be enabled to solve WPP projects. However, there is necessary to mention that practical experience also shows that hardly any clerk would like to complicate its life and ask the investor for documenting the suitability of location for WPP, even if it is located within the „recommended“ protective zone „of something“. Usually, it is like that these „recommendations“ are applied as a directive point of view and therefore we are afraid that the above-mentioned Territorial Study de facto enlarges the already wide areas spread within the Olomouc Region, and these shall be respected by the investors.
Lecture is given by Mr. Mgr. Janeček
The specialized session continued with a speech of Mr. Mgr. MD. Tomáš Hájek Dr. from Project Solutions company (focused on seeking a compromise between wind energy development and preservation of monumental values) and Mrs. Ing. Kristina Langarová, who spoke about Wind energy development from the European Landscape Convention point of view. Within her presentation Ing. Langarová spoke about wind-power plants from an unusual point of view for us, as she presented them as landscape features that revive the countryside not destroy it, which is a contrast view to in our country very often used arguments of the opponents, whose head argument is the WPP's impact on the landscape.
Ing. Langarová presenting
The lecture given by Mr. RNDr. Petr Obst also pointed out specific problems when evaluating a landscape character: Mr. Obst is a specialist in working up the studies that evaluate constructions' impact on landscape character. Mr. Obst mentioned in his speech some interesting examples, coming from practical experience in the Czech Republic and thus he demonstrated the WPP's occurrence does not always mean they are a disaster for landscape character. Next contributions were brought by Mr. Ing. Aleš Jiráska (National reference laboratory for noise measurement and evaluation within the communal environment), whose presentation was focused on the theme of noise and wind-power plants and Mr. Mgr. Radim Kočvara (Research and development in the field of natural science), who is evaluating the impact of such machines on birds and bats.
RNDr. Obst presenting evaluation of WPP' impact on landscape character
In case of the Olomouc Region the time for this seminar was strictly limited due to conference hall utilization and therefore some other interesting presentations as well as discussions were not presented and opened at all. Discussions are always the main asset of such events, but could not be developed in such a needed way.
Wind-power plants in the Olomouc Region supply with electricity 20 thousand people
Proportion of electricity production coming from renewable sources in the Czech Republic grows up; significant increase is shown mainly in the wind power industry. In the Olomouc Region there was last year produced more than 30 thousand MWh of electricity, which covers the consumption of more than 20 thousand people. The electricity produced from wind in the Olomouc Region for the period of last year can be even compared in a interesting way as follows: In coal power plants would be at the same electricity production burned coal that would be delivered by a 10-km-long freight train.
Nowadays, in the Olomouc Region there are located 32 wind-power plants of total installed output 37,2 MW. Considering the Czech Republic's performance of obligations in relation to the European Union, which means that up to 2020 is counted with a 13,5% renewable sources proportion towards gross energy consumption, the ČSVE is ruminating that in case of the Olomouc Region the potential could be 63 MW of the installed output.
Installed output and production of wind-power plants in the Olomouc Region
For more pictures from the seminar go into the photogallery.
Some presentations of the seminar can be viewed here.
