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Airborne Wind Europe is a partner in the new Horizon Europe project “JustWind4All” which focuses on social acceptance of wind energy. The Kick-off meeting brought together the consortium of twelve European partners led by the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) with the aim to activate synergies among diverse wind energy governance actors across Europe.

With the recently presented REPowerEU Plan, the EU has increased the renewables target to 45% by 2030.  To accomplish this, the EU will have to accelerate its production and use of renewable energy sources and the wind is expected to provide a significant portion of this new energy.

  • Four Challenges for Europe to foster its wind power

Such an acceleration of on- and offshore wind deployment requires that existing structures and processes in decision-making and citizen participation become more effective and just. This is where JustWind4All comes in to consider that the acceleration of wind power poses four challenges and the need for:

  1. Knowledge – Wind energy governance actors need to be better equipped with fit-for-purpose models and assessments for decision-making.
  2. Justice – Disputes around wind energy projects can arise around on- and offshore wind deployment areas and need to be addressed in all phases of win promotion, considering energy justice.
  3. Policy frameworks – Strategies need to focus on interrelations between different governance levels to foster more coherent policy frameworks for wind energy.
  4. Novel resources – Resource potential across regions, practices, and technologies needs to be quantified (learning from previous experiences).
  • Wind Forum and wind labs

JustWind4All will establish a state-of-the-art Wind Forum: a platform to bring together relevant wind energy actors across Europe – offline and online – to meet, network, discuss and get into action. A specific feature is a collaboration in five Wind Labs, which will focus on specific regional challenges such as repowering, the introduction of airborne and floating technologies (financial), community participation, and decision-making processes.

Airborne Wind Europe will work in the framework of Wind Lab #3 to address the potential of airborne wind energy technology and speed up fair wind energy governance processes. Airborne Wind Europe will also carry out the co-production of participatory practices aimed at fostering energy citizenship for AWE technology with relevant wind energy governance stakeholders including the aviation authorities like the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning, local residents as well as AWE technology developers such as Enerkite, Kitepower, and Skysails.

  • The scope

Over three years, the project will create open-access modeling tools and a wind energy governance toolbox, including guidelines & business models for enhancing citizen participation and instruments for improving wind energy decision-making.

Different outreach activities complement the Wind Forum to increase knowledge, social awareness, and engagement – such as a wind energy governance leadership and training program next to tailored events and webinars.

  • The Consortium

The consortium is made up of twelve organisations from nine countries, each with specific roles: