The Tel Aviv-based energy investment company EIG plans to spend €360 million in building wind farms around the central Macedonian town of Sveti Nikole.
The mayor of the small town, Slobodan Danevski and EIG senior manager David Brown announced signed the contract at a ceremony in Sveti Nikole on Wednesday.
EIG is to build 97 wind turbines on three hills around the town. Their overall capacity should be around 200 megawatts of electrical power.
The beginning of the construction is expected in six months, Danevski told media saying that the company is also looking at investing in sun energy.
In March the government announced it will simplify the legal procedure for investing in environmentally-friendly energy plants. Feasibility studies for building turbines in other gusty regions of the country are already being made.
Macedonia’s main power supply comes from its several thermo-electric plants as well as hydroelectric plants. However, the country is forced to import a portion of its power demand every year.
Local experts argue Macedonia has good wind and solar power potential that if harnessed properly, it could significantly decrease the need for energy imports.
The Republic of Macedonia has received Grant from GEF (Global Environment Fund) through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), acting as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) towards the cost of the Sustainable Energy Project (SEP) and intends to apply a part of the proceeds for Technical Assistance: Consulting Services for preparation of Study for Integration of Wind Power Plants in the Macedonian Transmission System.
The objectives of this Study are to carry out analysis of Macedonian Power System, with integrated wind power plants and which should lead to clear understanding of wind power and its implication of power system operation, production characteristics respecting wind power plant generation possibilities, comprehensive identification of real capabilities of the transmission network for wind integration and possible constraints, absorption capability of existing transmission network in Republic of Macedonia for local and total point of view and, equal conditions for potential investors. The Study should be prepared in two main parts as follows:
Part 1: Analysis of requirements for operating procedures, grid, and the complementary power generation portfolio and the associated costs and benefits of increasing penetration of wind power in the power system of the RoM;
Part 2: Requirements for connection of wind power plants on transmission network.
It is expected that the assignment will be carried out during a period of four months starting August 2009.
The Energy Agency of Republic of Macedonia, acting as the Implementing Agency of the Ministry of Economy for part of the SEP now invites eligible consultants (consulting teams/firms) to indicate their interest in providing the services. The work should be undertaken by consulting team consisting of experts who have following skills and credentials:
* Post-graduate (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) educational degree in power systems,
* Experience in planning of transmission systems,
* Experience in preparation of Wind Grid Codes,
* Experience in planning of wind power plants,
* Experience in state-of-the-art modeling of wind farm output in the hourly
time domain,
* Working practice with software packages for transmission network analyses; especially, working practice with PSSTME software package will be highly appreciated,
* Experience in similar assignment-related contracts in South Eastern European Countries,
* Creativity and research aspiration, ability for team-cooperation, working discipline and,
* Strong oral and written communication skills in English of the key experts are considered as indispensable.
Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (CVs, references, description of the similar assignment, experience in similar conditions, etc.).
The work of the Consultant will be coordinated by Energy Agency of Republic of Macedonia and, the consultant will closely cooperate with MEPSO, as beneficiary of the Study.
old.economy.gov.mk/MEKEnergetika/default-en.asp
windmacedonia.feit.ukim.edu.mk/
www.inforse.org/europe/pdfs/MAC_Sem_Ecosense_reccommendations.pdf
