Project goals

• Local ownership 
• 12 MW of wind energy 
• Accelerating energy transition 

The municipality of Staphorst has called for initiatives and has drawn up an assessment framework to assess initiatives based on participation, local ownership and spatial quality in 2017. In response to this, the Wij Duurzaam Staphorst (WDS) cooperative was founded by local citizens, Staphorst wanted to do this itself in order to be at the helm and obtain the earnings itself. And so the developer and owner of the wind farm is the cooperative WDS, which initiated the wind farm in collaboration with Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta. 

The water authority is working with WDS on the basis of its sustainable energy objectives. With this project, WDS shows that local cooperatives can independently undertake the development of a wind farm. Pondera has been supporting the cooperative in developing the project. Initially, this involved drawing up a so-called Wind Plan in which all aspects of the wind farm (spatial quality, development process, finances, etc.) had to be described. After successful submission in which the WDS plan was selected by the municipality, Pondera drew up an Environmental Impact Report for the wind farm and made a substantive contribution to the meetings with the local sounding board group, public meetings and discussions with local residents and other stakeholders.

Pondera's contribution

After the choice of the VKA, the permit applications were drawn up and submitted on behalf of the initiative by Pondera. Pondera then successfully applied for the SDE+ subsidy on the basis of the permit granted. Pondera is now supporting the cooperative in the follow-up. Pondera has taken care of the tender for the purchase and construction of the wind turbines and the grid connection.