The wind turbine was the cause of the conflict
Mike Setchell, Unsplash
In Luxembourg, a conflict has erupted that has come to symbolise the struggle between the interests of environmental progress and local government. The reason is a plan to install a single wind turbine near the border between the communes of Ettelbruck, Diekirch and Erpeldange-sur-Sûre.
The residents and municipal authorities of Erpeldange claim that the turbine site was deliberately chosen near their border, allegedly without due consideration for their interests. The project's developer, Soler, categorically denies the allegations. According to its director, Paul Zeimet, the company has been in the market for decades and has always been guided by technical criteria such as topography, grid access and environmental constraints.
By law, the turbine must be located at least 300 metres away from residential areas, but Soler voluntarily observes a buffer of 750 metres. Luxembourg also has much stricter noise requirements than Germany or Belgium: nighttime noise levels must not exceed 37 dB(A). This, as Zeimet emphasises, explains the rarity of turbine installations near villages in the country.
Interestingly, Bavaria has a "10H rule", which requires that the distance to houses must be at least ten times the height of the turbine. Luxembourg has no such stringency, making single installations possible, not just large-scale wind farms. At the same time, studies find no evidence of health damage from turbine infrasound, which Soler also insists on.
One of the main fears of local residents is "shadow flicker" (shadow flicker) from the blades, but the company assures that the turbine can be temporarily shut down during risky hours.
However, the conflict is far from over. The Citizens' Initiative has already filed three lawsuits, one of which has been dismissed, another awaiting a verdict in September, and the last one will not be decided until spring 2026. In parallel, Erpeldange will hold a referendum at the end of 2025, where residents will decide whether to continue merger negotiations with other Nordstad municipalities.
