Zeewolde Community Wind Farm
The Zeewolde Community Wind Farm is one of the largest onshore wind farms in the municipalities of Zeewolde and Almere located in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands. Developed by Windpark Zeewolde BV, the project stands out for its engagement with the local community, which helped shift initial opposition to wind turbines towards active support.
The wind farm is a major repowering initiative, replacing 220 older turbines with 83 modern, higher-capacity units. From the outset, local residents, farmers, and former wind turbine owners were directly engaged as shareholders, making Zeewolde one of the largest community-owned wind energy projects in the world.
Commissioning began in June 2020 with the dismantling of the first turbine and was completed in 2022, after which the wind farm entered full operation. The turbines, supplied by the Danish Manufacturer, Vestas, have an average capacity of about 3.9 MW each, generating around 870,000 MWh of electricity per year, reaching approximately 300,000 households, and saving around 500,000 tons of CO2 annually.
The project was financed via a total investment of approximately €500 million. Rabobank was the lead lender, supported by co-financing from NWB Bank and Denmark’s export credit insurer, EKF. The financing structure is underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with the Dutch TSO Vattenfall in 2019, providing long-term revenue stability for the project.
Transparency and early consultation have ensured broad community participation and trust. Prior to construction, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), draft permits, and the spatial integration plan were made available for public consultation. Public drop-in meetings allowed residents and other stakeholders to engage directly with project developers, public authorities, and independent experts, ask questions on issues such as noise and shadow flicker, and explore the project as a 3D model.
Local ownership is a defining feature of the Zeewolde Wind Park. Residents, farmers, and entrepreneurs living in the surrounding area were given priority access to invest and participate in the shares of the projects by means of the energy cooperative De Nieuwe Molenaars (New Millers ). Today, the wind farm is collectively owned by more than 200 local stakeholders, the majority of whom are farmers. Local residents can participate through long-term loans offering a fixed 6% return, with a minimum investment of €500, ensuring broad participation and shared economic benefits.
Nature protection was also embedded in the project design. As the population of white-tailed eagles in the Netherlands has grown, Windpark Zeewolde carried out targeted research to identify collision risks and corresponding mitigation measures. In close cooperation with the Province of Flevoland, the project invested in an advanced camera-based detection system developed by Biodiv-Wind SAS. Operational since 2024, this system detects eagles flying in the area and automatically shuts down nearby turbines, giving the birds safe passage.
Sources:
De Nieuwe Molenaars. Zeewolde Windpark. https://www.denieuwemolenaars.nl/initiatief/windpark-zeewolde/
EEB (European Environmental Bureau). (2023). Renewables Best Practices. Solutions for nature-positive, community-led renewable energy in Europe. https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RES-Best-Practices-factsheet-5.0.pdf
Green Giraffe. (2020, 30 July). Windpark Zeewolde announces refinancing. Press release. https://green-giraffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20200730_persbericht_refinancing_english.pdf
NS Energy Business. (2022, 3 May). Zeewolde Onshore Wind Farm. https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/zeewolde-onshore-wind-farm/?cf-view
The Energy Mix. (2020, 2 July). 200 farmers in Netherlands sign on for €560M onshore wind farm. https://www.theenergymix.com/200-farmers-in-netherlands-sign-on-for-560m-onshore-wind-farm/
WindEurope. (2020, 9 October). Wind energy and economic recovery in Europe. How wind energy will put communities at the heart of the green recover. https://windeurope.org/data/products/wind-energy-and-economic-recovery-in-europe/
Windpark Zeewolde. Press releases. https://windparkzeewolde.nl/nieuws/persberichten/
