China’s HEAG to build wind farms in Balkans

Huayi Wind Energy Co. Ltd. (HEAG) opened its regional office in Belgrade as official entry into the wind energy market in Serbia and the Balkans, Xinhua reported. HEAG, founded in 2002 in China, has been engaged in the design, manufacturing, sales and maintenance of wind turbines and wind farms.

The opening ceremony was attended by Serbian government officials, officials from the Chinese embassy and other diplomats.

“Based on our thorough evaluation, Serbia and the region have a great potential in the field of wind power, which is why we come here,” said Zhang Xuemin, head of HEAG, adding the company’s arrival to the country is of great importance for its further expansion on the European market.

According to HEAG, the regional office will adopt such cooperation models in the region as engineering, procurement and construction, equity investment, equity cooperation and direct sale, flexible for potential partners. Head of HEAG’s regional office Predrag Petronijević said efficiency of facilities for renewable sources of energy will be improved, especially in building wind power plants, which are among priorities in Serbia.

The Chinese company will be a reliable partner to anyone who wants to build wind power plants, said Predrag Petronijević, head of HEAG’s regional office.

“China is one of Serbia’s most important trade partners, with bilateral cooperation that has been growing and improving for years. The founding of HEAG’s regional office will bring the latest technology to Serbia, and promote the development of Serbia’s renewable energy,” said Stevan Nikčević, state secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.

The priority for Serbia is to fulfill its obligations according to European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive, transponed in the Law on Energy, said Miloš Banjac, assistant minister of mining and energy, responsible for renewable sources and energy efficiency. Electricity generation from renewable sources demands great investments, he told Ekonomski Online. Building a facility costs EUR 1.5 million per MW of installed capacity, and Serbia has to build wind power plants with total installed capacity of 500 MW, so this investment is worth EUR 750 million to EUR 1 billion, according to his words. But most of that is investment in equipment and technology, since maintenance of wind farms requires few workers, Banjac added. Benefits for local economy are reflected in involvement of domestic constructing companies during the construction of wind farms, he stressed.