Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) looks beyond E18 in Bamble. He meets news by the motorway to launch an idea. – Imagine a small wind turbine in every single lamp post down the motorway, says the minister optimistically. Aasland is desperately looking for renewable power, and believes there is great potential in wind production along our motorways. Smaller vertical wind turbines are still at an early stage, but may become important for future power production. Last week, the Energy Commission pointed to near-shore wind as an important measure if Norway is to have enough power in 2030, and to reach the climate targets that have been set. – Norway has good prerequisites for close wind. We have large areas and long stretches of road, says Daniel Flo, who is an adviser at Fornybar Noreg. 6,000 turbines In order to find out what potential there is in wind power along the motorway, Fornybar Noreg has carried out a calculation commissioned by news. The calculation is based on the E18 between Kristiansand and Oslo, which is a stretch of motorway of around 300 kilometres. Renewable Norway believes there is room for 6,000 smaller wind turbines on the stretch if they are to be installed in the lampposts. Based on wind conditions along the E18 and power in the turbines, the organization has calculated that the turbines can generate up to 120 GWh. This corresponds to the consumption of 7,000 Norwegian households each year. – The same power could be generated with six to eight modern wind turbines, says Flo. Windmills in a more familiar form. These mills are much more efficient, but have been disputed in several places. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news Must protect nature The advantage of local wind is that the wind farms can be built in already built-up areas. Aasland therefore believes that wind turbines along the E18 are a good idea. – A lot of exciting things are happening with the technology around microwind. I think it’s also nice that we can build this on already zoned land, says the minister. – But electricity for 7,000 households is not that much? – I think it’s a good start, says Aasland. – Symbol policy Nærvind should be less conflict-ridden as it does not affect untouched nature. news therefore asked one of the most committed opponents of wind power what he thought of the idea. – I thought this was symbolic politics, says Tommy Ballestad, who is the leader of the Facebook group “No to wind turbines in Grenland”. – But these are smaller turbines to be built in urban areas. You tolerate that, right? – It is not the turbines themselves that are the problem. I question the effect and usefulness of building 6,000 turbines, says Ballestad. Tommy Ballestad is the leader of a Facebook group that opposes wind power development. He says smaller wind turbines in isolation are unproblematic in already developed areas. But he believes that such turbines do not have enough effect. Photo: Martin Torstveit / news Actors are ready Terje Aasland, for his part, believes that close wind is an important part of the solution. Norhybrid in Porsgrunn is among the players that specialize in local wind and hybrid power. They are ready to develop projects in Norway, but want the rules for license obligations to be changed. – The main problem is that our smaller local wind projects near industrial areas are treated on the same lines as large traditional wind farms in untouched nature, says Carl Ivar Holmen, who is the day-to-day manager of Norhybrid Renewables AS. Holmen points out that the licensing regime is designed for large wind turbines, and that players like him need a change in the regulations to really get started in Norway. He believes that the municipalities should be allowed to process applications for local wind, and that NVE should focus on large wind. The Minister of Petroleum and Energy asks the players in the near wind to get ready. – They should look at areas that have potential. It’s an exciting technology that I’m rooting for, says Aasland.
ttn-69
Terje Aasland wants to wallpaper E18 with wind turbines – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
