Large-scale Wind Energy Project in Kosovo Starts Trial Operation

Potsdam, Germany - The wind energy market in Kosovo is still in the initialization phase. A new wind farm project in the north of the country could significantly accelerate further development.

Around 40 kilometers northeast of the capital Pristina, Notus Energy has completed Kosovo's largest wind farm and also built a new transformer station in the mountains as part of the project. The 27 wind turbines at the Selac wind farm provide electricity for more than 100,000 households and thus cover up to ten percent of Kosovo's electricity consumption.

102.6 MW wind farm in Kosovo starts feeding electricity into the grid

With a capacity of 102.6 megawatts (MW), the largest wind energy project in Kosovo to date, the Selac wind farm, is online. Potsdam-based independent power producer and project developer Notus Energy, together with local partners, carried out the permit planning for the project consisting of 27 GE 3.8 - 137 wind turbines (hub height 110 meters), supported the financing and implemented the wind farm as general contractor. The project was initiated by SOWI Kosovo llc. and has since been taken over by the investor Enlight Energy.

The wind farm is an important milestone for Kosovo on its way to an autonomous and renewable energy supply. „We are very proud to have been able to make a significant contribution to this outstanding project", said Notus Energy Managing Director Heiner Röger. Kosovo has relied almost exclusively on coal-fired power generation and electricity imports. In accordance with regulations in Kosovo, official operation of the wind farm is scheduled to begin on November 30, 2021, following the trial operation phase that has now started.

Wind farm at 1,800 meters, 20 km high-voltage transmission line and substation built

The wind farm is located about 40 kilometers north of Pristina in the southern foothills of the Kopaonik Mountains near the town of Mitrovica. According to Notus Energy, a particular challenge at the site was transporting and erecting the wind turbines at an altitude of up to 1,800 meters in the remote, mountainous, barren landscape with a 13 km expanse and 23 km of road construction.

To transform the wind farm's electricity to the 110 kV level, Notus Energy built a 120 MW substation near the village of Bajgora. From there, the Potsdam-based company built a 20-kilometer 110 kV overhead line to the feed-in point in the town of Vushtrria and also renovated the substation there in the process.

Wind farm largest direct investment in Kosovo at 170 million euros

The total investment for the large-scale project amounts to 170 million euros. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a loan of 58 million euros. Erste Bank Austria and the Slovenian bank NLB are also involved. About one third is financed by the owners.

The EBRD's involvement alone means that the Selac wind farm meets particularly high standards in terms of environmental compatibility and the involvement of local people. In total, Notus Energy has signed leases with more than 300 small landowners.

Source: IWR Online, 25 Oct 2021