After visiting the Folkecenter in Denmark, Wilfried Winkelman, Judith Plagemann, and Christian Schulz visited the Tvindkraft plant.

Tvind is the name of an alternative school system in Denmark founded by young people in 1973. The premise was “travel and learn.” In northern Jutland near Ringkøbing, an old farm (Tvind Gaarden) was purchased and converted into a school.

During the oil crisis, participants in a teachers’ seminar began considering the construction of a wind turbine.

From 1975 to 1978, the Tvindkraft plant was built by teachers, pupils, students, experts, and regional construction companies – using their own private money. The decision to build nuclear power plants in Denmark was imminent. It wasn’t known whether this could be prevented, but resistance was fierce, and proof that wind energy generation works had to be provided.

Like Growian, the turbine is a leeward-wind turbine. The Tvindkraft turbine is a 2 MW turbine, 54 m high, and for several years was by far the largest wind turbine in the world. The foundation and tower were built from reinforced concrete. The nacelle is made of rolled steel plates.

Initially, it could only feed 400 kW into the grid due to inadequate grid connections. The surplus electricity was used to heat the school.

What’s special about it: it still works today and has been supplying electricity to the grid since 1978.

For comparison, Growian, the turbine built by the grid operators HEW, Schleswag, and RWE, as well as MAN, the Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics at the University of Stuttgart, and the University of Regensburg, was idle for most of the period between its first test run on July 6, 1983, and its end of operation in August 1987.

Although the Tvindkraft plant had been successfully producing electricity since 1978, Growian proved to grid operators that wind energy doesn’t work.

RWE board member Günther Klätte stated at a company general meeting: “We need Growian (large wind turbines) to prove that it doesn’t work,” and explained that “Growian is something like an educational model to convert opponents of nuclear power to the true faith.”

It is a special moment to stand in front of this Tvind plant, whose foundation houses a corridor with photos and information about its construction.