Bulgaria set for Massive Growth in Wind Power

SOFIA, Bulgaria, November 10 - Bulgaria is set to dramatically expand its wind power output in the next
10 years, delegates at a workshop on integrating wind power in Bulgaria heard
today. From the current 330 MW installed to over 3,000 MW by 2020, wind
energy will meet 13.5% of Bulgaria's electricity demand.

The workshop, organised by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in
cooperation with the Bulgarian Association of Producers of Ecological Energy
(APEE), pooled industry, government representatives, and national electricity
company together to discuss the potential for wind power development in the
country.

"With installed capacity increasing more than fivefold in less than two
years, Bulgaria is one of the fastest growing markets for wind energy in the
world. Moreover, it has another 8,000 MW of wind projects in the pipeline. If
current planning and grid access barriers are streamlined, Bulgaria will soon
be one of Europe's wind energy front-runners, reaping the economic benefits
in the form of new jobs, reduced fuel import dependency and technology
development," said Christian Kjaer, EWEA's Chief Executive.

The EU directive establishing mandatory targets for renewable energy for
all EU Member States requires Bulgaria to increase the amount of renewables
in its energy mix to 16% by 2020, up from the current level of 9.4%. Bulgaria
must submit its national action plan - outlining the measures it will take to
boost renewable energy - by June 2010.

Kostadinka Todorova, Director for Energy Efficiency and Environmental
Protection at the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy, said that the administration
is well on track to submit the first forecast document to the European
Commission, due by 5th December this year. "We are working on a new renewable
energy law. Once in place, it will attract even more investment to the sector
in Bulgaria", she said.

"Bulgaria is well placed to exceed its target which would allow it to
create revenues by selling excess Bulgarian renewable energy production to
Member States struggling to meet their targets. This could create revenues of
15-20 billion Leva by 2020 (EUR7.5-10bn)," said Velizar Kiriakov, APEE's
President

"Investors and developers have already shown strong interest -
demonstrated by the fact that wind energy capacity will have doubled by the
end of 2009 compared to the previous year", added Kiriakov. "Wind energy
offers highly workable solutions to the current triple-layered crisis -
climate, financial and energy. Bulgaria must not miss the chance to create a
new industry which will bring investments and create thousands of new jobs,
curb CO2 emissions, and ease the dependency of the country from neighbouring
fuel exporting nations" he concluded.

In 2008, 36% of all new electricity generating capacity built in the EU
was wind power, ahead of coal, gas and nuclear. On average, 20 wind turbines
were installed for every working day of 2008. By the end of 2008, a total of
160,000 workers were employed directly and indirectly in the sector, which
saw investments of about EUR11 billion in the EU.

For more information please contact: Paolo Berrino, Press Officer, European Wind Energy Association, +32-486-277-169, Paolo.berrino at ewea.org