Bulgaria's Ecosource Energy Plans Start of Delayed Wind Park Project in 2009

SOFIA (Bulgaria), July 16 (SeeNews) – Bulgaria's Ecosource Energy plans to launch by early 2009 the construction of its delayed wind farm project, currently estimated to exceed 100 million euro ($159 million) when completed, a company official said on Wednesday.

“The delay is now solely due to insufficient supply of turbines on the market,” the head of the project development team, Sasho Chobanov, told SeeNews.

The privately held green energy company has agreed taking delivery of 10 turbines of 1.3 megawatt (MW) each and one 3.0 MW unit with an undisclosed company. Deliveries are to start by the autumn, he added.

The project was delayed in early 2006 due to inadequate wind measurements. Later, Ecosource Energy scrapped its contract with Germany's Enercon for the supply of 44 wind turbines of 2.3 MW each. Now, the company plans to gradually add turbines until the capacity of the wind park reaches the planned 100 megawatts.

EU newcomer Bulgaria offers preferential prices for electricity generated by domestic wind farms in order to enhance green energy generation and comply with EU directives. The country has to cover 11% of its gross domestic energy consumption by wind-generated power by 2010, compared to about one percent in 2005.

($ = 0.6278 euro)

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