Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) said that it has approved the acquisition of wind energy producer Eolica Bulgaria, which operates 60 MW wind farm Suvorovo in northeast Bulgaria, by MET Renewables Holding, a part of Swiss-based MET Group.
The statement from the regulator said that the transaction could not significantly impede competition or lead to the strengthening of a dominant position on the local market. The combined share of the local market for production and wholesale of electricity of the parties to the deal is 20 to 30 % in terms of electricity generated by wind turbines and 10 to 20 % in terms of installed capacity. Although this share will give the consolidated group a leading position among wind power producers, the transaction could not hamper competition on the respective local market.
In August, MET Group said that it has acquired a 100 % stake in a 60 MW wind farm in Bulgaria, after signing a share purchase agreement with Spanish Grupo Enhol. The transaction is an important step in achieving MET’s renewables growth targets in the CEE region of 500 MW in operation by 2023 – with this acquisition MET will expand its operating wind portfolio in Bulgaria to 102 MW.
Suvorovo wind farm, representing 8.5 % of the total installed wind capacity in Bulgaria, consists of 30 units of Gamesa G90 wind turbines – 2 MW capacity each. The wind farm, operating since 2012, produces approximately 120 GWh of electricity per year, supplying power equivalent to the consumption of around 38.000 households.