Norwegian wind farm may be torn down for reindeer

THE biggest onshore wind farm in Europe could be torn down after reindeer herders from Norway won a landmark case claiming the turbines blocked them from roaming on ancient pastures.

The Norwegian Supreme Court yesterday ruled that two wind farms in the west of the country were harming reindeer herders from the Sami people by encroaching on their nomadic life.

It was not immediately clear what the consequences of the finding will be.

Lawyers for the herders say the 151 turbines completed on the Fosen peninsula last year – part of the biggest landbased wind farm in Europe – could be torn down.

“Their construction has been declared illegal, and it would be illegal to continue operating them,” said Andreas Bronner, who represented a group of herders alleging harm from

one of the two wind farms. The Sami argue that the sight and sound of wind turbines frightens animals grazing near by, thus jeopardising age-old traditions.

Ole Berthelsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian ministry for oil and energy, said that “the Supreme Court verdict creates a need to clarify the situation”, adding it would “communicate later about what to do next”.

The judges declared void the licences issued by the ministry to build and operate the turbines, saying they violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Article 27 of the UN text says that ethnic minorities “shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture”.

Traditional Sami reindeer herding was a form of protected cultural practice, the court found.

“Of course this is a surprise to us,” said Tom Kristian Larsen, head of Fosen Vind, which operates one of the wind farms.

“We based our action on definitive licences granted us by the authorities after a long and detailed process that heard from all parties. Special importance was given to reindeer herding.”

The company said it would wait for the ministry’s decision on next steps.

The Sami number up to 100,000 people spread across Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia.