Austrian firm Verbund turns on new wind farm on Romanian coast

Austrian company Verbund has flicked the on-switch for the new Casimcea Wind Farm, in Tulcea County. Verbund's investment in the project is some EUR 380 million and the new wind farm can produce enough electricity to supply some 350,000 households. More turbines will be connected over the next two years, taking the wind farm's capacity to 280 MW by 2016, according to the company. “With over 200 MW, we have achieved the goal that we have set. Offshore wind has potential for development and Dobrogea is one of Europe's highest wind power potential regions,” said Verbund CEO Wolfgang Anzengruber. Via the new wind farm, Verbund's total energy production capacity, in Romania and abroad, reaches some 450 MW. The Romanian Government recently approved a piece of legislation on cutting the incentives to renewable energy producers. The Government decided to postpone granting a part of the green certificates to investors in small hydropower plants, wind farms and solar power plants, starting July 1. This measure will be valid until March 2017 in the case of hydropower and solar power plants and until 2018 for wind farms, according to local news agency Mediafax. New wind installations will only get one green certificate instead of two certificates currently awarded, small hydro power plants one instead of three and solar projects two instead of six. editor@romania-insider.com