Bulgaria to expand wind power capacity

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The Bulgarian government at a Sofia workshop outlined plans to expand its wind power output enough to satisfy 13.5 percent of its energy demand by 2020.

A directive from the European Union on renewable energy requires member states to expand output from renewable energy. Wind power for Bulgaria could expand from 330 MW of current capacity to 3,000 MW by 2020.

"With installed capacity increasing more than five-fold in less than two years, Bulgaria is one of the fastest growing markets for wind energy in the world," said Christian Kjaer, chief executive at the European Wind Energy Association, which organized the workshop.

The ambitions outlined by the working group would place Bulgaria at the top of wind farm producers in Europe, the EWEA said.

The association said more than 30 percent of new power generation facilities built in the EU in 2008 were wind power farms. There were 20 wind turbines installed in the bloc every working day last year on average.

The workshop brought energy, industry and government representatives together to examine the potential for wind power in Bulgaria.

Sofia must complete its action plan for renewable energy by June 2010.