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Climate Action
News article24 October 2017Directorate-General for Climate Action

Unique high-altitude wind farm opens in Austria

A wind farm in the mountains of southern Austria is the latest innovative renewable energy project supported by the EU's NER 300 programme to enter into operation.

Windpark Handalm

A wind farm in the mountains of southern Austria is the latest innovative renewable energy project supported by the EU's NER 300 programme to enter into operation.

Windpark Handalm, consisting of 13 windmills at an average altitude of 1,800 metres, will produce around 76 Megawatt hours of electricity a year, while showcasing a range of innovative technologies designed specifically for the high-altitude location.

Handalm will produce enough electricity for 21,000 homes, saving 46,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road. The project, launched ahead of schedule on 24 October, will also demonstrate the applicability of the technologies for larger-scale wind farms in the special wind and site conditions of mountainous areas.

The Handalm investment, totalling €58 million, was aided by an €11.3 million grant from the NER 300 programme, which supports the development of innovative low-carbon technologies and is funded entirely through the sale of emissions allowances under the EU's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS).

Supporting the development and implementation of innovative low-carbon technologies is an important part of the EU's strategy for ensuring the achievement of its climate change objectives as committed to under the global Paris Agreement.

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Publication date
24 October 2017
Author
Directorate-General for Climate Action