New wind projects undergo environmental reviews in Burgenland
Tuesday 15th September 2026 on 12:45 in
Austria
New wind farms are being planned in central and southern Burgenland, with environmental impact assessments under way for all projects, ORF reported. Wind turbines are already common in the northern and central parts of the province, while the southern region is set to receive turbines for the first time.
In Nikitsch in the Oberpullendorf district, 15 additional turbines are planned towards Kleinwarasdorf. Another eight are planned in Unterpetersdorf, a part of Horitschon, also in the Oberpullendorf district. The turbines at both wind farms will have maximum hub heights of about 170 metres.
The projects are being developed by Burgenland Energie and private partners. Burgenland Energie chief executive Stephan Sharma said the wind farms had been planned carefully over five years and would help make Burgenland energy-independent.
Sharma said he expected strong public support because the projects had been developed with municipalities, the provincial government, nature conservation and environmental protection authorities, and non-governmental organisations through zoning processes and workshops.
In Rechnitz and Schachendorf, both in the Oberwart district, Burgenland Energie plans to build 13 turbines. Six of them are planned on Schachendorf municipal territory, where an agrivoltaic facility covering almost 80 hectares is also planned.
The projects are located in a landscape-sensitive area near the Rechnitzer Weingebirge. Sharma nevertheless said he expected local residents to accept them.
Residents would benefit not only through municipal fees, Sharma said, but also through direct economic participation in the wind projects. They would be able to buy electricity from the turbines at stable energy prices and with low grid costs, he said.
Sharma said no further wind farms were currently planned in central and southern Burgenland. He expects the Nikitsch and Horitschon wind farms to begin operating in 2029 or 2030, and those in Rechnitz and Schachendorf in 2032.