We searched the archives: Walloon parliamentarians were already demanding the creation of a wind land register, among other things to map the windy plateaus on which wind turbines could be erected. But on the SPW Energy website, the dynamic map of solar and wind energy, the “widget” which indicates the loading of the page turns indefinitely, like wind turbines out of control. “There is no wind cadastre in Wallonia,” confirms Nicolas Yernaux, spokesperson for the SPW.
Are we going to install wind turbines in the middle of Walloon forests? “We will do everything to prevent these Eiffel Towers from being built in the middle of the forest”
However, the European Red 3 directive (for renewable energy directive) requires its Member States to carry out such an inventory. “It is currently being produced and should be presented during 2025. The map will then be put online and available to the general public. It will include in particular the potential locations where wind turbines could be installed.”
Of course, the Region does not navigate by sight in terms of wind energy development on its territory. During permit applications, impact studies are carried out and identify, for each file, other wind turbines nearby. But not on the scale of Wallonia. “There are many illegible listings with equally illegible GPS coordinates, but nothing very visual,” we are told.
Wind turbines risk multiplying in this village: “We reject all projects but…”
According to Edora, this situation is particularly “challenging”. And would only be the fruit of “political decisions of the past”. The federation hopes that the new ministers will be keen to “improve transparency in this area. Because we are currently in the Stone Age.”
At present, a citizen who would like to buy a house in a small rural village in Wallonia, unless they carry out exhaustive research which will not necessarily lead to a positive result, cannot therefore have any insight into possible projects. wind turbines which could, in the future, spoil his view.
1,500 letters received and a colossal citizen mobilization against wind turbines in Molenbaix: “A majority of people are fighting against the permit”
“As part of Pax Elioenica II, wind monitoring is planned, reassures the office of the Walloon Minister of Energy, Cécile Neven (MR). The objective is to take stock of production capacities wind turbines installed and planned. The data should reach us within a few months.”
According to annual wind installation data in Wallonia, collected at the request of Edora by the non-profit organization Énergie Commune, 41 new masts were erected while 8 masts were dismantled in Walloon territory, in 2023, bringing the total power of the Walloon wind farm at 1,422 MW. Or the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of more than 750,000 households. “It should also be noted that with more than 3,800 MW of Walloon wind projects in the pipeline, development activity in the sector in Wallonia has increased by more than 30% over one year.”
As of December 31, 120 wind projects, bringing together a total of 629 wind turbines, were subject to an impact study, according to Edora. And permit applications had been submitted for 27 different projects (totaling 116 wind turbines) in the Walloon Region. Or ? Only an up-to-date map would make this clear to the citizen….
