Earlier this year, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu sent an official letter to Cogealac (Constanta County) Mayor Cati Hristu, asking him to support all local investments in wind energy, after praising private investor Continental Wind Partners’ interest in developing a wind farm project in the area, daily ‘Gandul’ reported yesterday. The document was dated April 14 and was registered by Cogealac authorities a month later, the newspaper said.

Two major companies are currently planning to set up a wind farm in the area: Czech company CEZ, through CWP, and Spain’s Iberdola, which recently purchased a wind farm project developed by Eolica Dobrogea. The wind farm projects triggered heavy disputes between CEZ and local mayor Hristu, who claims the Czech company is building its project illegally, saying that the plot of land for the project was actually granted to Eolica in 2007. But the Constanta prefect and County Council disagree and CWP accused the mayor of having personal interests to see their project stopped. Earlier this week, Hristu and about 100 locals stormed the building site and tried to stop construction by force. In the conflict that ensued, five locals were shot with rubber bullets by security guards. Further on, the mayor and five other people were taken into custody and were ordered on remand for 29 days in relation to the conflict. Three other people, including deputy mayor Mihai Dore, will be probed out of custody, according to Mediafax news agency.

When asked by ‘Gandul’ to comment on why he intervened in favour of CEZ, Videanu said he did so because “the situation grew complicated, escalating in diplomatic disputes and interventions from the Spanish and Czech embassies.” The minister also said he personally mediated seven rounds of negotiations between CEZ and Iberdola representatives. “I support any viable project, regardless of the investor. It got to that letter because I had information potential investors in the area were openly blackmailed. And this attitude can endanger major investment and we cannot just stand and do nothing,” he said. But the Economy Ministry initially denied any attempts from Videanu to influence the Cogealac mayor over the wind farm project, the newspaper said. The general director of the Economy Ministry’s Energy Department, Alexandru Sandulescu, also told ‘Gandul’ that the intervention was made for the sake of national interest and that when the letter was written, nobody knew of Eolica Dobrogea’s existence.

In separate comments yesterday, Videanu said there are several wind farm projects in the Constanta area that are currently blocked and reiterated his support for all renewable energy investments, regardless of who the developers are. Videanu also said, quoted by Realitatea TV, that his obligation is to do everything possible to allow the blocked projects to go ahead.

Meanwhile, daily ‘Jurnalul National’ reported yesterday that Iberdola’s partners Eolica Dobrogea is demanding a referendum in which to ask locals how they want the area’s energy potential to be used. In a press release quoted by the newspaper, the company underlined that it obtained authorisation to build the wind farm and insisted that it would ask both the mayor’s office and the local council to call a referendum as soon as possible.