September 7, 2010
Romania

Bureaucratic dispute stops work on CEZ Romania wind farm

Ben Backwell: Monday, September 6 2010 | rechargenews.com

Czech utility CEZ has stopped work on the second stage of its massive Fantanele/Cogealac wind farm in Romania in the lastest of a series of disputes with local government authorities.

CEZ says it has complied with all the legal requirements needed to complete its €1.1bn ($1.4bn), 600MW wind farm, but work has been stopped by local officials accusing the company of not having all the necessary construction permits.

A CEZ official tells Recharge that the setback “is a continuation of local disputes”.

“We have already prepared legal steps to ensure continuations of the construction works,” she says, adding: “The commissioning of the second phase in the schedule is not affected.”

CEZ has already installed 115 turbines, each with a 2.5MW capacity, at Fantanele, which began feeding power into the national grid in June. The last turbines in the first 347.5MW phase are due to be connected by the end of 2010.

The second 252.5MW phase at Cogealac is due to be completed by the end of 2011.

In late July, five people were injured by plastic bullets fired by security guards hired by CEZ after the mayor of Cogealac led a group of local people to the work site, ostensibly to demand that the company pay fines for not having village permissions.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/09/07/bureaucratic-dispute-stops-work-on-cez-romania-wind-farm/