Ministry to Assess Wind Farm Zones Planned by Previous Government

Bratislava, 21 October (TASR) - The Environment Ministry has launched an environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for two wind park acceleration zones to which the previous government committed itself in Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan, TASR learnt from the ministry on Tuesday. One zone should be built in eastern Slovakia near the town of Michalovce in Kosice region and the other in western Slovakia near the town of Hlohovec in Trnava region for new investors. Both sites were selected by the Slovak Nuclear Energy Company, and the ministry will assess them in detail. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) stressed that this isn't a decision of the current government. "In the same way, the Environment Ministry didn't choose or select the locations where these wind zones should stand. Both acceleration zone projects will be assessed in great detail," stressed Taraba. The EIA process is at the very beginning for the acceleration zones, but it isn't a permit procedure. During the process, experts from the Environment Ministry will thoroughly evaluate the submitted project documentation and, in case of doubt, invite the investor to complete expert studies so that the environmental and public health impacts of the wind park projects are properly assessed. The authorising bodies for the acceleration zones will be the municipalities concerned. During the term of office of the current government, the Environment Ministry hasn't yet issued any consenting opinion from an EIA processes that would allow the construction of any wind park in Slovakia. On the contrary, Taraba has pushed through new legislation that will give the state more control over the construction of wind parks. "Slovakia has one of the best and greenest energy mixes in electricity generation in the world. Energy production in Slovakia is primarily based on stable sources of energy production - nuclear and hydroelectric power plants. The conditions for wind farms in Slovakia aren't ideal, so they aren't a significant priority for the energy mix. Electricity production from nuclear and hydroelectric power plants is significantly cheaper than in the case of wind parks," stated Taraba. am/df