Authorisation and application documents for the repowering of wind farms
Wind repowering permit: we guide you through the authorisation procedure, prepare the application documents and take your project through to the Kollaudierung.
The authorisation of repowering projects is a complex process with many legal and technical requirements. We guide you competently and reliably through all procedures: from any rezoning that may be necessary, through the preparation of the permit documents, to the final inspection ("Kollaudierung"). In this way, your modernised wind turbines are connected to the grid as quickly as possible. The more complete the application, project description and specialist reports are, the fewer queries arise during the procedure.
Which procedure applies depends on the size and location of the project. Under the Austrian Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVP-G 2000), wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 MW or more, or with 20 converters of at least 0.5 MW each, require an environmental impact assessment (EIA); above 1,000 metres above sea level, the thresholds are already 15 MW or 10 converters. In sensitive areas of category A, the lower threshold of 15 MW or 10 converters also applies, and a case-by-case examination decides. If an existing wind farm is changed or extended, the authority assesses the change under § 3a UVP-G. Relevant factors include, among others, an increase in capacity by at least half of the threshold value, the capacities authorised in the last five years and the cumulation rules; the assessment is based on the specific project. Whether an EIA is required is determined by the authority on application or ex officio. For turbines with a grid connection, transmission lines and substations must be taken into account when delimiting the project, depending on their spatial and functional connection.
If an EIA is carried out, the authority also decides in a consolidated procedure on the matters covered by the sectoral laws, such as nature conservation, electricity, aviation and forestry. The documents are usually submitted as a structured application dossier: application, technical project description, other documents and the environmental impact statement with specialist reports. Under § 4a UVP-G, the choice of site primarily follows the areas of the supra-local wind energy spatial plan of the respective federal state. In addition to the UVP-G, state laws apply, for example on nature conservation and electricity law, and the procedures differ by federal state. Where there is neither a supra-local plan nor a local zoning designation, the consent of the host municipality on whose territory the foundations are to stand must be demonstrated with the application. In repowering, existing turbines are often located outside designated suitable areas, so that rezoning or adjustments to spatial planning may be necessary, and height restrictions may prevent turbines with a large hub height. The application can also request deadlines for the start and completion of construction.
Through structured documentation of all required documents and forward-looking coordination with the authorities, we make your repowering project efficiently approvable. Communication and assessments are transparent, and we state recommendations for the next steps clearly. The technical basis is provided by the repowering planning. The permit documents also contain the decommissioning concept and the ecological services. You will find details on the types of procedure for wind farms under authorisation procedures for wind farms. Operation begins after the Kollaudierung, see operations management in repowering.
