Romania and Bulgaria Biomass and Biogas Energy Markets Add New Capacities in 2014
/19th May 2014, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCHTM/
Romania is suitable for the production of biomass and biogas energy throughout the whole year. Biomass carries the highest potential for green energy production in the country, amounting around 88.33 TWh per year. Romania will need additional 20 GW electricity generation capacity by 2035 in order to meet the increasing demand for electricity, to de-carbonize its electricity sector and to replace aging power generation facilities.
The primary objective of Romania is to ensure compliance with the mandatory renewable energy target of Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources by 2020. The country made crucial steps to reach renewable energy targets for 2020 set by its government in 2007, and at national level the Romanian energy strategy for the period of 2007-2020, as approved by the Government Decision № 1069/2007 establishes the level of national targets concerning the shares of electricity generated from renewable energy sources in the final consumption of electricity renewable energy generation.
At the begining of 2014 Austrian company Egger finished construction works on the largest biomass power plant in Romania, which cost approximately 35 mln. EUR.
With the introduction of support mechanisms in the law in 2008 and the subsequent amendments in 2010, 2011 and 2012, Romanian biomass and biogas energy market will grow in next years according to Romania Biomass (incl. Biogas) Market: Outlook 2013 - 2018, especially assuming the sizeable reduction of green certificates for solar and wind projects since 1 January 2014.
In Bulgaria the biggest potential for production of biogas from primary and secondary agricultural residues is available in the regions North Eastern and South Central. Regarding solid waste and waste waters the biggest potential for production of biogas is in South Western part of the country where population density is higher.
One of the main goals of Bulgarian government is to increase the awareness of forest owners and energy producers regarding the potential use of forest biomass as a diverse and economic renewable resource. Another point is to raise awareness of animal and agricultural farmers regarding possibilities to utilize residues from their activity through biogas installations. In order to promote energy production based on forest biomass and to ensure economic management of forests, it is important to have accurate information both about the existing resource and the energy production enterprises using, or planning to use, these fuels. It is necessary to develop an optimum logistics models.
First commerical farmer's biogas power plants with capacity of 1 MW and 0.8 MW started operation in Bulgaria during 2013 and first half of 2014 with another biogas power plants expected to follow in 2015. Nevertheless of political instability in Bulgaria, which started in 2013, feed-in tariff rates for biomass and biogas installations remain very attractive and expected to be without significant change for the next feed-in tariff period, which starts from 1 July 2014.
More information about this promising market you may read here: Bulgaria Biomass Market: Outlook 2013 - 2018
