At the end of last month, 187 of the project’s overall 240 turbines were working, according to the latest data provided by state-owned power grid operator Transelectrica. The total capacity of the wind project will be 600 MW.
Wind projects have developed fast on the Romanian market, considering that at the end of 2009 only 14 MW were functioning and now the installed capacity has reached over 1,340 MW, comparable to the power generated by the two functional reactors at Cernavoda nuclear plant. In all, wind energy has attracted investments of around EUR2 billion during this time, and is one of the few segments of the energy market that have progressed lately.
“Romania will have the largest wind farm in Europe by the end of this year,” said Jan Veskrna, general manager of CEZ Romania, at the Energypedia conference.
On the other hand, market specialists warn that the wind farm euphoria will be tempered by the difficult access to financing, with more than half the projects judged “in order” risking not to be implemented. In fact, most of the projects developed so far in Romania have relied on the financial power of major energy groups, with the remaining developers desperately seeking buyers.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)