Andrzej Duda’s move was announced by his aide Małgorzata Paprocka on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
At least 700 metres between wind turbines and buildings
Under the new wind farm law, the minimum distance between wind turbines and built-up areas will be 700 metres.
Under the previous rules, the minimum distance was equal to 10 times the maximum height of the wind turbine, known as “the 10H principle.”
Road through parliament
The new wind farm bill was introduced last July by the government, which sought to set the minimum distance between wind turbines and built-up areas at 500 metres.
MPs in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, modified the bill, raising the figure to 700 metres, before senators voted to reinstate the 500-metre minimum.
Last week, MPs rejected the Senate’s amendments, and gave the bill their final approval, with the minimum distance set at 700 metres, the PAP news agency reported.
The bill was then sent to the president for signing into law.
The new wind farm rules
Under the new rules, wind turbines must be part of the local land-use plan and their distance from built-up areas must be established on the basis of the so-called strategic assessment of environmental impact, including the impact of noise on the environment and the health of the local population, officials said.
The new wind farm law also sets the minimum distance between wind turbines and the power grid lines. It abolishes a ban on the construction of residential buildings near existing wind turbines; maintains “the 10H principle” in the case of national parks; and sets the minimum distance between wind turbines and nature reserves at 500 metres, the PAP news agency reported.
Step to access EU funds
The relaxation of rules on the construction of wind farms is one of 37 “milestones” that Poland must achieve to access EUR 23.9 billion in grants and EUR 11.5 billion in loans from the EU’s pandemic relief fund under Poland's National Recovery Plan, officials have told reporters.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, interia.pl