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The first truly community-owned wind station in Germany is being installed near the parish of Wangerland, claims Ubbo de Witt of development company Projekt in Oldenburg. An ownership structure for the wind station has been developed in consultation with the Wangerland parish council. Twenty-two of 34 AN Bonus 600 kW turbines are to be built on property owned by local citizens who have founded a company named Bassens Windpark. But this group has also made an area available for a further 12 turbines in which, says de Witt, only local inhabitants may invest. Priority will, it seems, be given to individuals who have had their own turbine plans turned down. The two wind stations will be operated as one, with all costs and benefits distributed equally. The Bassens Windpark will be a partner in the umbrella operating company Bassens Windpark and Bürgerpark. The project was welcomed by the local council as a much more attractive alternative to the prospect of 300 individual applications resulting in masses of single turbines scattered across the Wangerland countryside. The council is not a partner in the project, but will step in to buy shares if not enough buyers emerge. Its intention is to sell on any stake it buys to local investors. The Wangerland proposal has a building permit and should be commissioned in December.