Although the wind energy potential in Romania is 14,000 MW, four times higher than Bulgaria’s, the latter’s installed power is more than 13 times higher than Romania’s, 160 MW compared to 12 MW, according to market data.

Specialists explain that the Bulgarian legislation is better than the Romanian one in terms of support for investors in this field. “Bulgaria is ahead of Romania in the area of legislation. The Bulgarian state guarantees a price almost three times higher for energy produced from renewable resources. Moreover, the period in Bulgaria for obtaining the necessary approvals is one year, at most, compared to over two years here,” Sebastian Enache, General Manager of Wind Power Energy, a major wind energy project developer in Romania.

The Bulgarian government offers companies delivering energy obtained from renewable sources incentives which are more than attractive.

For example, investors in the wind energy field receive, by contract, a guarantee that the energy they produce will be purchased in its entirety for 15 years, at a price triple that of conventional energy.

This is one of the reasons for which companies in the field are considering to invest on the Bulgarian market. “Bulgaria offers an excellent wind regime and supportive investment climate, and we aim to expand the wind market in the country,” Erik Winther Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of Suzlon Wind Energy, India’s largest wind turbine producer, said recently, quoted by the Renewable Energy magazine.

According to Enache, Romania will catch up with Bulgaria in two-three years. Bulgaria raised its installed wind capacity fivefold in a single year: to 160 MW last year from 35 MW in 2007.

Source: Standard.ro