IJsselmeer: Final: no sand extraction off Lemmer, but wind farm off Makkum

An island was to be built off the coast of Oudemirdum, from which several ships full of sand would leave every day. According to the plan, a suction dredger would be connected to the island by means of a hose.

To compensate for the restrictions on leisure boating, a number of moorings were to be created on the island.

However, there was resistance in the municipality of De Fryske Marren, which includes Lemmer; local residents did not want the unobstructed view of the water to be restricted. The Minister for Infrastructure, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, recently made it clear that she would accept the municipality's decision either way. The FNP has now tipped the scales, deciding to go against its coalition partners on the council and not approve the project. This means that there is no longer a majority - the project is off the table.

Fryslan wind farm coming

The wind energy project off Makkum, west of Kornwerderzand, is different. A wind farm with 89 turbines and a capacity of around 320 megawatts will be built there, which was also recently decided. The arrangement in the form of a hexagon is intended to minimise obstructions to the lines of sight from all directions. The distance between the turbines is 660 metres. Once completed, the park will be open to traffic.

To compensate for this, the operators of the wind farm will pay into a regional fund, which will be endowed with 720,000 euros per year for 20 years after the start of electricity production in the second quarter of 2021. The utilisation of this fund is still unclear, but it is to be expected that sailors will also benefit from it in one way or another.

If you would like to find out more about the project, please visit the Website of the park many animations on the future situation.