Tønder risks losing wind turbine projects to the Danish Armed Forces
TØNDER: The Danish Armed Forces' fighter pilots need more space to carry out test flights.
That is why the Danish Armed Forces introduced new flight corridors in April 2025 - areas where fighter pilots are allowed to train - which include, among other things, the Municipality of Tønder. Here, the fighter planes must be able to fly at low altitude.
Now, however, it seems that the Danish Armed Forces and the Rural Development Agency have gone in a different direction than the agreement that was made with the Municipality of Tønder about the consequences of the new flight corridors.
The Municipality of Tønder had been given the impression that, after agreement with the Danish Armed Forces and the Agency, a number of wind turbine projects in the municipality could continue despite the flight corridors. JydskeVestkysten has previously described this.
But it will not be possible if the Danish Rural Development Agency's draft national plan directive for the air corridors is adopted.
Ministerial meeting is on the table
In Tønder Municipality's consultation response to the draft, the municipality writes that the national planning directive goes "beyond what was discussed".
To JydskeVeskysten, Mayor Jørgen Popp Petersen (Tønder List) describes the matter as "serious", and he is prepared to ask for a meeting with the responsible minister.
- I expect that our objections will be received positively and open up for a closer dialogue, he says and continues:
- We do not want to be simply swept off the track administratively and, if necessary, must use the tools we have has, to get a meeting with the minister.
"Indirect expropriation"
In 2024, Tønder Municipality participated in a number of meetings with the Danish Armed Forces and the Danish Rural Development Agency to agree on the consequences of the flight corridors.
The low-altitude flights place a restriction on the municipality's development of buildings and other structures with a height of more than 80 meters in the areas.
Only in selected places can Tønder be allowed to build structures that are higher than 80 meters. This applies, among other things, to wind turbines up to 180 meters in height, and it was Tønder Municipality's impression that the affected wind turbine projects were precisely exempt and could continue despite the flight corridors.
However, according to Tønder Municipality, the board has introduced new restrictions in the draft, which the municipality has not been involved in.
At the same time, the municipality assesses that the board's draft for the national plan directive may result in "indirect expropriation".
"A national plan directive of this nature entails significant restrictions on property rights and the possibilities for development within the affected areas. In our opinion, the regulation functions as indirect expropriation", writes the municipality.
The consultation period for the draft expires on February 26.
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