Wind Power Plants in Dobrich and Kavarna, Bulgaria

BNR, * with exerpts, 21 May 2007

In March 2007 the member states of the European union arrived at an agreement to raise the share of the energy produced by renewable energy sources to 20% by 2020. For Bulgaria the short-term objective of 10% renewable energies by 2010 is no easy task.

The water power plants provide 5% of the total energy output in Bulgaria. The remaining alternative sources solar, wind, geothermal, biomass energy etc. stay below the critical level of 0.5%. But the idea to construct wind power generators has become the fastest developing. Conducive to this type of power production are regions where the average annual wind speed is over 4 m/s, and these regions occupy 3.3% of the Bulgarian territory. The most powerful winds in Bulgaria blow along the Northern Black Sea coast, as well as over mountain ridges.

The interest amongst investors is huge and 9 operators have submitted quotation for the construction of wind turbines with a total power of 650-700 MW near Shabla, Kavarna and Dobrich in Northeastern Bulgaria. Another project envisages the construction of a wind park on the ridge of the Balkan Range at an altitude of 1700 m. In certain regions of the country entrepreneurs have already built small wind power plants of up to 5MW each.