In only three years Marie-Luise Mörk has taken the Schönfelde-Jänickendorf wind farm project (Brandenburg) to the approval stage. The green light for the construction and operation of the planned wind turbine has now been given by the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment. The turbine is a Vestas V 162-5.6 MW with a hub height of 169 m. But let’s ask Marie-Luise herself:

Marie-Luise, how much patience does a project manager actually need until they get the approval for the construction of a wind turbine?

The traits which have proved very important in our field of work are perseverance and persistence. You have to follow up a lot and remind experts of deadlines, you need to keep in touch with authorities and local councils.

What were the particular challenges in Schönfelde?

I had only started working at greenwind when I took over the project from Pascal Peters. Pascal had initially planned the project and commissioned all the expert reports which are required for approval. I was then given the opportunity to steer the approval process, which for me personally was the first of its kind as it had not been preceded by a development plan. What’s more, the plant is located in a forest area. This means special challenges to deal with, such as applying for forest conversion, finding areas for initial afforestation to compensate for the project, and then getting them okayed by the authorities.

What are the next steps before construction?

We are currently planning the connection to the medium-voltage grid, that’s the cable route which runs roughly 6 kilometres through the forest area. Three municipalities are involved here, and we will need to attend numerous meetings to conclude contracts. I’m also responsible for handing over the project to the other greenwind departments, such as construction, technical operations management, etc.

How did you come to take on this responsible role at greenwind?

I wrote my master’s thesis at greenwind in the field of geoinformation systems and then decided to go into project development. I was fascinated by how colourful and varied the subject area is. Last year, I also had the opportunity to complete a part-time continuing education course in Oldenburg in the field of wind energy technology and management. But one thing is clear: every permit is a team effort. During the process, I was able to draw on the expertise of Franziska Goebel and her colleagues. Bernd Müller built up an excellent relationship with the owners over the rather long planning and approval period, so that the numerous required contracts could be processed quickly. The experience I gained in the projects, and especially in the entire Schönfelde process, has helped me a great deal both professionally and personally, and I’m very thankful for that.