Green Boom: More Power Generated By Romanian Wind Farms In 1Q 2011 Than In Whole 2010

05.24.2011 ZF English

Green energy generation registered a real boom in the first quarter of this year, with electricity generated by wind turbines, small hydro-power stations, solar farms or biomass stations being enough to supply around 600,000 households with energy for three months, five times more than in the same period of 2010.

The most spectacular development during the analyzed period was registered by wind energy. Thus, as major wind farms, such as the ones held by CEZ, Enel or Energias de Portugal in Dobrogea, started operations, wind energy production was up by over 50 times in the first three months of this year against the corresponding period of 2010, according to Transelectrica data.

The data showed that almost 75% of all green energy generated in Romania in the analyzed period came from wind power projects.

Transelectrica data also show that whereas there were only 16 wind power producers with a capacity of merely 15 MW in March 2010, a year later 30 producers were registered, totaling a capacity of over 545 MW. The reason is that the major wind farms only started operating at the end of last year, and thus made an impact on 2011 numbers.

However, wind energy was not the only one to boast significant growth in the first three months of this year.

While in the first part of last year no MWh was supplied to the network - and hence rewarded with green certificates (the subsidy the state grants investors in green power, as investments in this field are more expensive than those in conventional energy), by any solar panel investment, this year Transelectrica data show 198 such certificates were issued for a 198-MWh production, enough to supply around 300 households with power for three months.