“Mills to Megawatts: A Journey of Wind Energy across Europe”: A Joint Wind History Archive Project
The Mills Archive Trust and the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) are awarded a €10’000 grant from a Joint Project between the European Union and the Council of Europe. The grant will be used to explore European-wide opportunities to preserve and share the history of wind energy and how innovators have applied the power of the wind to generate electricity.
During the project, ‘Mills to Megawatts: A Journey of Wind Energy across Europe’, an interactive map will be built and shared, connecting countries, sites, individuals and community groups and document the development of wind energy to create an archive of information for future generations. Research will bring together related historical and contemporary sources of knowledge across countries and digital resources on key people, places and inventions will be made publically available.
Eight grants of €10’000 were on offer in a competitive process in which heritage organisations across Europe could apply after submitting European Heritage Days Stories. The call for European Heritage Days communities to submit their heritage stories aims to encourage engagement, belonging and sharing of insights about the European dimension of their work.
The Mills Archive Trust, in collaboration with WWEA and supported by the German Wind Power Museum and the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, submitted a story called, ‘Molina Duvent and the Lost Seed of Svalbard’. In this story it is the year 2124 and Europe faces imminent destruction from the climate crisis, causing widespread devastation and loss of life. The collapse of the renewable energy industry exacerbates the situation, widening the gap between the rich and poor and with crucial knowledge being lost. However, a group of diverse experts convenes secretly to devise a plan to confront the crisis. The project funded by the 10’000 Euros grant will also present information as a story, with regular updates from the character of Molina Duvent.
The Mills Archive Trust is a UK-based registered charity and accredited archive that protects, preserves and promotes the history of milling for people to learn from and enjoy. Their coverage is global and includes the two main historical power sources for milling – wind and water – which are attracting more attention in recent years in response to climate change. Since 2021 it has collaborated with the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), which is an international non-profit association embracing the wind sector worldwide, with more than 600 members in around 100 countries. WWEA works for the promotion and worldwide deployment of wind energy technology. It provides a platform for the communication of all wind energy actors worldwide, advising national governments and international organisations, and enhancing international technology transfer.
Both organisations will also be working closely with energy archives expert and special advisor to the World Wind Energy Association, Kolya Abramsky, who introduced the two organisations in 2021. The team will also work with the German Windpower Museum (Deutsches Windkraftmuseum) and the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy in Denmark.
Commenting on the award, Trust Director Elizabeth Bartram said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from the European Union and Joint Council of Europe. We are passionate about connecting the past with the present and shedding light on the important developments of renewable energy – in this case wind energy – over centuries. The opportunity to collaborate more closely with the WWEA is exciting, as is the prospect of building more links with groups and communities in other parts of Europe. Cultural heritage is a valuable resource for addressing contemporary challenges and we will champion this throughout the project.”
World Wind Energy Association Secretary General Stefan Gsänger said: “Wind power has become a mainstay of the world’s electricity supply and, together with solar energy, will be the primary source of energy. This global importance underlines the need to understand and preserve the roots of modern wind power, whether in Europe or elsewhere. We are privileged to be able to work with professional organisations in this field, such as the Mills Archive, to secure the future by protecting our history. The ‘Mills to Megawatts: A Journey of Wind Energy across Europe” is an important step towards our ultimate goal: a global network of wind archives.”
- To read the introductory story of ‘Molina Duvent and the Lost Seed of Svalbard’, visit >>
- The Mills Archive Trust
- Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy
- Deutsches Windkraftmuseum
- European Heritage Days
