Public dispute in Bad Orb: Ørsted fights against financial allegations!

Public dispute in Bad Orb: Ørsted fights against financial allegations!

There is currently a lot of discussion about the Ørsted company in Bad Orb. As the Gelnhausen newspaper reports, the city is making allegations about the economic situation of the Danish energy supplier. Although Ørsted admits in a press release a deficit of 1.7 billion crowns for a certain quarterly period, Christoph Markl-Meider from Ørsted Onshore Germany makes it clear that various one-off effects such as depreciation in connection with temporarily stopped large offshore projects in the USA are responsible.

The company can still boast an operating profit of around 2.28 billion euros for the first three quarters, which is roughly the same as the previous year. “We are not in economic difficulties,” said Markl-Meider clearly. Nevertheless, Ørsted is planning a strategic realignment between 2025 and 2027, which includes both a capital increase and the reduction of 2,000 jobs in order to strengthen financial stability.

The Jossgrund wind farm in focus

At the center of the debate is the planned Jossgrund wind farm project, which is located in a designated wind priority area. Mayor Tobias Weisbecker and local entrepreneurs have called for the use of wind energy on Horstberg to be stopped in an open letter to Ørsted. Their goal is to create space for spa and wellness facilities. Ørsted rejects this demand and emphasizes that the expansion of renewable energies is in line with the regional planning goals of the state of Hesse.

The company states that the areas were determined as part of a constitutional process and that HessenForst intends to use them for wind energy. Therefore, the tender for the implementation of the project on the Ørsted property was issued. Up to eight wind turbines are planned, which will be located more than three kilometers from the nearest settlements. This shows that health and safety issues for residents are being taken into account.

Environmental sustainability and willingness to engage in dialogue

Ørsted relies on environmentally friendly planning and is committed to comprehensively assessing and minimizing possible impacts on the forest. The approval process is carried out in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). In an open dialogue with the communities of Bad Orb, Jossgrund and Biebergemünd, citizen participation models are to be established that enable the population to actively participate in the development process.

But it's not just local conditions that play a role - the political framework is also crucial. Wind power is a key technology for renewable energy. Technical advances have significantly improved the efficiency of wind turbines in recent years. How on Class climate can be read, modern wind turbines contribute to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, which plays an important role in the current climate protection discourse.

Overall, Ørsted is faced with the challenge of, on the one hand, addressing the legitimate concerns of residents and, on the other hand, advancing the important goal of the energy transition. Strengthened by new technologies and with an eye on future developments in the field of renewable energies, the company is confident that the dialogue with the community can develop into future projects with a good hand.