From development to operation, including the construction phases, RWE is committed to an active consultation process that meets the expectations of local residents and users.
The Group is committed to communicating in a transparent and educational way at every stage of the project. It ensures that its development is consistent with the host region by involving the relevant stakeholders in the various phases of the project.
Wind farm projects raise legitimate questions. In response, RWE implements appropriate consultation procedures and establishes constructive dialogue with local stakeholders.
Testimonials from Jacques Pallas, mayor of Saint-Georges-sur-Arnon (Indre), and the local residents who have welcomed the Les Pierrots onshore wind farm developed by our teams.
Establish a relationship of trust and proximity with local stakeholders through a continuous, sincere and attentive dialogue.
Draw on the residents' expertise to design a project rooted in the area's history, culture and identity.
Take a co-construction approach, creating value and opportunities around attractive projects.
Our aim is to develop projects that are efficient, well thought-out and integrated into the local environment. Local authorities are therefore systematically consulted from the earliest stages of development, so that we can understand the local issues and build a project tailored to each environment.
To achieve this, we implement a range of solutions, from project start-up to wind farm operation:
This consultation process, which is entirely voluntary, is essential to the success of the project.
All wind and solar farm projects are subject to a public enquiry procedure. Information about the project (including the environmental impact assessment) is published once the application for authorisation or permit* has been submitted. Any person or organisation may then submit questions or comments for a period of one month. All contributions will be submitted to the developer via the investigating commissioners for response. The documents resulting from the public enquiry procedure are taken into account in the prefectorial decision on whether or not the project will be authorised.
* For solar projects, this is an application for planning permission; for wind projects, this is an application for environmental authorisation.
Geomaticians produce spatial analyses and maps, which are an important visualisation and decision-making tool in the development of wind farm projects. They must also be accomplished experts in data and database management systems.
Wind potential experts work on all issues relating to wind resources. The tasks entrusted to them are diverse, ranging from measuring the wind on site to analysing the performance of wind turbines in the operational phase, including calculating the expected yield of future wind farms.
Acoustics experts are in charge of the acoustic studies during the development phase and the measurement campaigns during the operating phase. They also advise on the siting and choice of turbine. Their role is to ensure that the acoustic measurements comply with the regulatory constraints governing the noise impact of a wind farm. This may involve setting up a noise abatement plan to reduce the noise emitted by the wind turbines and ensuring that it is properly implemented.
Electrical engineering experts are involved in all phases of a wind power project. In particular, they are responsible for steering the design studies for the electrical equipment and the compliance studies with regard to the electricity grid operator. During the construction phase, the electrical engineering experts are involved in monitoring the proper execution of work relating to the technical specifications. They also deal with any electrical problems that may arise during plant operation.
Civil engineering experts are involved in all phases of a wind farm project. During the development phase, they assess the technical feasibility of the locations for the future wind turbines, carrying out soil surveys, sizing the wind turbine foundations, sizing the platforms and access roads to the wind farm. During the construction phase, they work with the subcontractors to ensure that these tasks are carried out properly. During the dismantling phase they plan the removal of equipment, with a view to responsible waste management and site restoration.
Turbine/systems engineers qualify turbines during technical due diligence and provide the teams in charge of the project with technical turbine documentation. In this way, they support the pre-selection of turbines in the early stages of development in order to provide the best possible technical response, while also contributing their expertise during the contract negotiation phases. Finally, during the construction phase, they support the project managers and the quality departments in resolving problems of non-conformity.
The legal department is responsible for securing the development activity (operations and transactions). It negotiates all contracts, from wind data agreements to turnkey sales contracts (turbine supply, maintenance, etc.) and co-development partnerships. It manages all the legal issues that may arise during the life of a project. It also monitors regulatory developments, supports the teams in obtaining regulatory approvals and manages the companies behind the wind farm projects.
Ecologist provide support and expertise throughout the life of the project, from site selection to operation, to ensure that environmental issues and regulatory requirements are properly taken into account. In particular, they are responsible for ensuring the quality of the environmental impact assessment and the correct application of the Avoid, Reduce and Compensate (ERC) sequence during project development.
Connection engineers carry out feasibility studies for the connection of new projects to the electricity grid. They also monitor the electrical connection of projects with the electricity network operators (Enedis, RTE, ELD, etc.) from the connection request stage through to commissioning of the projects.
