Austria’s Burgenland state has commissioned what it described as the country’s largest wind farm in Neusiedl/Weiden, with 23 turbines delivering total capacity of about 122 megawatts.
The facility is expected to generate around 251 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply roughly 70,000 households, the state said.
Governor Hans Peter Doskozil said the project supports the region’s long-term energy strategy, offering a fixed electricity price of 10 euro cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years through the Burgenland Energy Independent Fan Club. He added the wind farm represents a key milestone in Burgenland’s goal of achieving net energy independence by 2030 and forms a flagship element of the “Project Tomorrow” programme.
Austria’s infrastructure minister Peter Hanke said the country continues to rely on electricity imports during winter months and stressed the need for additional wind generation to strengthen security of supply. He added that the investment supports domestic power production and preserves regional economic value.
Burgenland Energie chief executive Stephan Sharma highlighted the project’s repowering scope. “At this site, we dismantled 44 old wind turbines, fully recycled them, and erected 23 new, improved ones. The number of turbines was halved, while electricity production was doubled. Austria’s largest wind project is a collaborative effort, made possible only through the cooperation of federal and state governments, mayors, NGOs, and local residents and businesses,” he said.
Sharma said the development demonstrates Austria’s ability to reduce reliance on imported energy. “There are no more excuses: This major energy infrastructure project demonstrates that we can become independent of foreign energy sources, as Austria still imports 60 percent of its energy needs. From planning to construction, we needed only about three years, creating energy independence and security for the region for more than 20 years – that’s how long these new wind turbines will produce electricity for the region,” he said.
He added that the next step will be the development of an agri-photovoltaic park and promoted the Burgenland Strom programme, which offers households and businesses access to locally generated renewable electricity at a fixed price.
