CEZ has strengthened its position in the central and east European renewable energy market and in the Romanian electricity market through the purchase of two major wind power projects in the country.
The Czech utility has concluded a deal with Continental Wind Partners, LLC, a major renewable energy project developer, to purchase the projects in Dobrogea province, Romania. It says it intends to invest EUR1.1 billion in the projects, construction of which will start this month.
The Fantanele and Cogealac wind farms are on adjacent sites and will have a combined capacity of 600 MW when construction is completed in 2010. Combined, they will represent the largest onshore wind farm in Europe, according to CEZ.
"This wind farm project will strengthen the position of the CEZ Group in Romania itself and enlarges our activities in the electricity generation sector there,” said Martin Roman, Chairman of the Board and CEO of CEZ. “The project has all necessary licenses and permissions including guaranteed connection to the grid, and the hardware for the first stage has already been fully contracted.”
CEZ is planning to invest in renewable energy as well as gas-fired and nuclear generation as part of a strategic plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is already active in ten countries in central and southeast Europe.
The Fantanele and Cogealac wind farms are the first significant wind farms to be realised in Romania, which currently has only 7 MW of wind power capacity. When operational, they will represent nearly one-third of Romania’s renewable energy market.
Continental Wind Partners will oversee construction of the wind farms, which will become operational in stages between 2009 and the end of 2010. Wind speeds at the site, 17 km from the Black Sea, are described as “excellent” by CEZ.
The first stage of 347.5 MW will comprise 139 GE 2.5xl turbines with a 100 m hub height, 99 m rotor diameter and a 2.5 MW capacity. The second stage of 252.5 MW will be operational by the end of 2010.
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