Windpark Fryslân, a large wind farm project in the IJsselmeer, has overcome local resistance and can start construction next year, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Thursday.

The Council of State, the government’s highest advisory body, ruled on Wednesday that objections that it would harm recreation and employment in the area were unfounded, the FD said.

The project in the Frisian sector of the man-made lake, to be completed in 2021, includes 89 wind turbines with total capacity of 320 megawatts, to be located 6.5 km from the Frisian coastal town of Breezanddijk.

One of the largest wind farm projects in the country, Windpark Fryslân will include a 2-hectare nature reserve on an artificial island.

Safety

The council said the wind turbines are so far apart that recreational vessels can navigate safely between them. Importantly, none of the major boat routes through the IJsselmeer pass through or are located near the wind farm.

In addition, the wind farm will have only a small impact on wind conditions in the area, the council added.

Friesland provincial authority will invest an initial €127m of the total €600m to €900m cost of the project. This marks the first time a province has invested in a wind farm. The remaining funds will be raised by as-yet unnamed banks and other financiers.