Saint Nikola Wind Farm, owned by AES GeoEnergy, generated over 166 000 MWh of power for the first seven months of 2019

August 7, 2019

The wind farm, with AES as majority owner, is at the core of the Integrated Early Warning System for Bird Protection

The largest wind farm in Bulgaria – ‘Saint Nikola’ near Kavarna, owned by AES GeoEnergy, generated 166 434 MWh of clean and reliable energy for the first seven months of 2019.

The operation of the 156-MW capacity contributes to fulfilling Bulgaria’s target for share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix. Furthermore, with its wind power generation Saint Nikola facilitates the carbon footprint reduction for the Bulgarian energy sector by saving our country 184 742 tons of СО2 since the beginning of the year.

In the period January – July 2019, in order to minimize the risk of bird collisions, the 52 turbines of Saint Nikola Wind Farm stopped working for a total of 160 minutes.

Saint Nikola Wind Farm is at the core of the Integrated Early Warning System for Bird Protection, which complies with the European requirements for the conservation of wild birds. The integrated system minimizes the risk of bird collisions with the rotating parts of the wind turbines by stopping single turbines or entire wind farms, and implements a monitoring program during the risk periods for species of conservation significance. The system integrates information from several radar systems, as well as direct on-site monitoring by ornithologists, who regularly monitor birds in the area, assess potential hazards and, where necessary, issue turbine shutdown orders.

The total investment in the Saint Nikola Wind Farm project is BGN 540 million. The project funding has come from bank loans, granted by a consortium led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, part of the World Bank Group), and the loans are serviced regularly.

 

For AES Bulgaria

AES has been in Bulgaria since 2001 and is the largest investor in the energy sector for the past 30 years with investments exceeding EUR 1.6 billion. AES Bulgaria is the owner of the newest and most advanced thermal power plant in South East Europe – TPP AES Bulgaria, of the Waste Disposal Facility near the village of Obruchishte, as well as the majority owner of AES GeoEnergy, which operates the largest wind farm in the country – Saint Nikola near the town of Kavarna.

To learn more, visit  www.aes.bg. Follow AES Bulgaria in Facebook here: @AESBG, Youtube: AES Bulgaria.

For AES

AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 14 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution companies as well as thermal power stations and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world’s changing power needs.

To learn more, visit www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter here: @TheAESCorp.