What are the main reasons for Lanthan Safe Sky’s participation in this first international web conference on „Obstruction Lighting and ADLS for Wind Turbines”?
MK: As a market leader and the first certified provider in the field of transponder-based ADLS, we are thrilled to introduce an international audience to this subject. For more than ten years, we have been blazing the trail for this innovative technology to bring back dark night skies for residents and the environment surrounding wind farms. We are convinced that every obstruction light that is turned off brings us one step closer towards even more sustainable and future-oriented wind energy. Our success in Germany can serve as a blueprint for other countries that will hopefully follow shortly and make use of this technology. The web conference is a wonderful opportunity for us to hear from operators and manufacturers directly what their needs and expectations are. We are very much looking forward to many questions, thoughts, observations, and hope for a vivid discussion!
Why is the German experience useful for an international audience?
MK: At the end of February 2021, our transponder-based ADLS system went live for the first time worldwide in a wind farm in Northern Germany. As expected, this world premiere was not without its complexities, especially since many stakeholders such as the manufacturers, authorities, operators, installers, and ourselves have been involved. While being the first is a wonderful reward for hard work, it also means that valuable lessons have been learned – some of them the hard way. We hope that the participants of this event will benefit from our experience and especially from our expertise that goes way beyond the “mere theory” of how an ADLS works. We have successfully completed several projects since, and we are looking forward to sharing unique insights with the audience.
What is your opinion on standardizing processes across Europe? Is that a realistic goal?
MK: It certainly is a desirable goal, even if it isn’t likely to happen in the immediate future. Even in Germany with its federalist system, we’ve experienced first-hand how fragmentation sometimes complicates the approval processes. We had a steep learning curve ourselves, having successfully completed approval processes in almost every state. Yet, the complexity of the subject can still be overwhelming from an operator’s point of view. We hope that other European countries will work closely together to avoid bureaucratic hurdles. In light of the climate crisis, we must take a more pragmatic and decisive approach when it comes to any form of renewable energy. It is crucial to act quickly, which is why we believe that a clearly defined mandate for operators to retrofit their wind turbines is a must.
Have you already gained experience in a market outside of Germany?
MK: Indeed, we are currently working on our first pilot project in the Netherlands, where regulators are setting a fast pace. In many countries, we see huge demand, mostly driven by innovative operators who share our goal of reducing the impact of wind turbine operations on citizens and nature. In fact, we are currently in talks with regulators and operators in over 10 countries, among others the UK, Belgium, and France.
The matching free webinar:
Free WebSeminar on September 23: Obstruction Lighting and Ai