This license will enable the company to set its Dobruja wind farm in motion, the most ambitious project of its kind developed in the world and one which will witness the start-up of up to 50 wind farms
The company plans to construct its first wind farm in the country this year: the 80-MW Mihai Viteazu farm, which falls outside the scope of this new power concession
Iberdrola Renovables is the benchmark renewable energies company in Eastern Europe, where it is already working on wind energy projects in Poland, Hungary, Estonia and Bulgaria, and is also taking wind measurements in Russia
Iberdrola Renovables, the worldwide market leader in wind energy, has been granted a license by the Romanian grid operator Transelectrica to connect a total of 1,500 megawatts of wind power to the national electricity grid.
This planned output will enable the Spanish giant to generate enough energy in Romania to supply nearly one million households, while also curbing yearly CO2 emissions by 2.6 million tonnes.
The license will pave the way for the company to roll out its DOBRUJA PROJECT, the most ambitious wind turbines project of its kind developed in the world to date one that will witness the start-up of 50 wind farms in the region of Dobruja, in south-eastern Romania. The Company intends to build these wind farms between 2011 and 2017.
Iberdrola Renovables is implementing all its projects in Romania with the company Eolica Dobrogea (owned by the Swiss engineering group NEK and the Romanian companies C-Tech and Rokura). This company, which is at the forefront of the Romanian renewables market, has been entrusted with the task of developing the projects – planning and obtaining the construction permits – while Iberdrola Renovables is responsible for constructing and operating the wind farms.
The company intends to begin construction this year on its first wind facility in Romania: the 80-MW Mihai Viteazu farm. This particular project does not fall within the new power concession granted by the Romanian government, but will also be located in the region of Dobruja. The farm is expected to be brought into service in January 2011.
2009 saw Iberdrola Renovables open its first office in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, as part of its ongoing plan to cement its presence in Eastern Europe. The company already has operating wind farms in Poland (161 MW) and Hungary (50 MW), and is working on projects in Estonia (where it is implementing the country’s largest wind farm at 150 MW) and Bulgaria. It is also in the process of taking wind measurements in Russia.
Iberdrola Renovables, with operations in 23 countries, is the world leader in its sector in both installed capacity (with nearly 11,294 MW at the close of the first quarter of 2010) and power output (over 6,812 million kWh).
Iberdrola Renovables, a benchmark company in Eastern Europe
Geographical diversification is one of Iberdrola Renovables’ competitive advantages. Its international strategy focuses on markets with favourable regulatory systems and high growth potential in the renewable energies sector.
At present, North America and Europe are the company’s key markets. Eastern Europe has also been tagged as a priority market for the years to come, with a project pipeline approaching 4,700 MW.
In 2009, the Spanish company channelled nearly 100 million euros into developing renewable energies in Eastern Europe, making it the benchmark company for renewable energies in the region.
