Investing in wind for a strong Eastern Europe

Poland, Romania and Bulgaria continue to pique the interest of wind developers. They are not just emerging but re-emerging markets. Until lately, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria had cut back on their onshore wind permit permissions.

Fortunately, onshore wind is the cheapest power source in places like Poland. This has contributed to a thaw in the freeze on permitting permissions, and in Romania’s case, wind subsidies.

Most importantly, Eastern European consumers have stood up and taken note. Energy prices came to the fore as Russian invasion fears, and changes to energy supply patterns, have finally gripped the attention of the public.

Wind developers, investors, and various utilities have placed their bets on the region with a swathe of new onshore wind projects. They have noted, too, that offshore is now on national agendas. They are making strategic choices, for example on how to access transmission, staying ahead of markets moving at what seems, to some, a slow pace.

Project advisors nonetheless observe the impacts of inflation on development, and report that the high appetite of investors persists despite rising risks in costs and curtailment.

How will the activity of developers play out on the national scale, in negotiations with local stakeholders, and will they play a fateful role in the Eastern European energy transition?

This exclusive report puts questions to the experts:

• Katarzyna Suchcicka, Country Manager, Poland, OX2‍
• Simeon Sarafow, Country Manager, Poland, wpd Europe‍
• Alexandra Doytchinova, Co-head of M&A, Schoenherr‍
• Patrycja Talarek-Dabrowska, Counsel, Northland Power‍
• Piotr Mrowiec, Associate Partner, Renewable Practice Head, Rödl & Partner‍
• Dimitar Kairakov, Attorney- Co-Head of Energy, Bulgaria, Schoenherr‍
• Bogdan Fratila, Managing Partner, Romania, Rödl & Partner