ABO Wind AG from Wiesbaden will build a wind farm with up to six wind turbines in the state forest near Denklingen (Landsberg am Lech district). This was announced by the Bavarian State Forests (BaySF), which manages the forest there and leases the land for the turbines. The wind turbines, with a hub height of 175 meters and an output of 7.2 megawatts each, will be able to supply green electricity for up to 24,000 households. ABO Wind has also offered up to 100 percent public participation in the project. This was probably an important factor in the Wiesbaden company being awarded the contract. “Companies that enable a high level of public participation receive more points in the selection process,” says State Forests CEO Martin Neumeyer.
The project is very welcome in the municipality of Denklingen. In a referendum in November 2023, almost 70 percent of those voting were in favor of the wind farm. With this clear vote behind them, the local council with Mayor Andreas Braunegger (CSU) cleared the way for the tender. The mayor is extremely positive about the award of the contract to ABO Wind. “I am very pleased that a partner has been found here who offers up to 100 percent citizen participation,” says the CSU man. The people of Denklingen have not always been so open to wind power. A good ten years ago, plans for a wind farm with up to 25 turbines were circulating in the region. The discussion at the time quickly took on a life of its own, Braunegger reported back in January. The result was that for many years nothing progressed at all.
The Denklingen wind farm is the ninth that ABO Wind has built in Bavaria. Three of the eight so far are forest wind farms. The company has already built around 70 forest wind farms nationwide. There are currently 101 wind turbines turning in the state forests in Bavaria. Since the controversial 10H distance rule was adjusted two years ago, the state forests have signed 14 new site security contracts for up to 84 wind turbines in the state forests. The company is currently being discussed primarily because of the controversial wind farm in the Altötting forest, which is being scaled down more and more due to massive resistance from the population there.