Renewables

CWP suspends part of EUR 610 million wind power project in east Bulgaria

Vetrino CWP suspends part EUR 610 million wind power east Bulgaria

Photo: Distinct Designer on Unsplash

Published

July 14, 2023

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

July 14, 2023

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

Citing disputes with the local authority in Vetrino near Varna, a subsidiary of CWP Europe said it won’t build a planned wind park in its entirety. Total envisaged capacity was 519 MW.

Even though the Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria annulled the decision of the Municipality of Vetrino to impose a moratorium on wind power plants, Dobrotich Wind said it decided not to implement its project in the area in full scope. The firm, majority owned by CWP Europe, has been preparing for the last 15 years to build a wind farm in Vetrino and Valchi Dol, both in Varna province in the country’s east.

The latest version of the project was for 74 turbines, of which 24 would be installed in Vetrino. According to the project firm’s website, total capacity is estimated at 519 MW. However, it expects machines of up to 8 MW each to be available in the market.

In addition, it said it would seek no subsidies. The endeavor is valued at EUR 610 million,

Developer cites disinformation campaign

Dobrotich Wind, which took its name after a village in Valchi Dol, accused the Municipality of Vetrino of working against Bulgaria’s laws. The moratorium was adopted last year after negotiations on remuneration with the local authority and farmers failed.

Some protestors claimed that wind turbines cause cancer, and even plague, which the firm now called a campaign of disinformation and manipulation and sowing panic.

Community program to be redirected

The firm pointed out that it would redirect the investments in programs benefitting the community to places where the project is supported. The delays and the reduction of the project lead to “hundreds of millions in lost revenues,” it said and noted that it could seek damages in court.

However, Dobrotich Wind appealed to the municipal administration to change its stance, suggesting that the investment plans and socially responsible activities could then be resumed in full.

Of note, the name Vetrino is derived from the Bulgarian word for wind, vyatar. Data from the 2011 census show that the municipality had just 5,400 inhabitants.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

blackout spain portugal entso report

Blackout in Spain, Portugal started with 2,200 MW power production loss

12 May 2025 - ENTSO-E has published the sequence of relevant events from an incident on April 28 that caused a total blackout in Spain and Portugal

bih citizen energy renewable energy communities republic of srpska miljevic

Significant step for citizen energy in BiH – Republic of Srpska enables establishment of first renewable energy communities in region

12 May 2025 - The Republic of Srpska, one of the two entities making up BiH, adopted a rulebook on renewable energy communities

Second HVDC cable from mainland Greece to Crete coming online

Second HVDC link from mainland Greece to Crete coming online

12 May 2025 - IPTO is completing the last elements of the Ariadne Interconnection project, one of the deepest subsea links in the world

Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 sponsors

Everything is ready for Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 – welcome!

11 May 2025 - On May 14 and 15, Belgrade Energy Forum 2025 will gather four hundred participants from more then 30 countries from the region, Europe, and beyond