A 300-MW grid-connection agreement between Romania’s grid operator Transelectrica, and a joint venture between GE and German wind farm developer Prowind GmbH, will play a major role in the expansion of Romania’s wind power sector. It will pave the way for Prowind, a renewable energy provider, to build four wind farms in northeastern Romania.

The agreement covers the connection of the joint venture’s wind farms to Transelectrica’s new substation being built near the small town of Banca. The four projects are located in the hills of Vaslui County, a sparsely populated agricultural area of northeastern Romania. Windelcon, a Romanian wind project development company, is conducting the local development efforts.

“Our wind farm projects in the Vaslui County will offer major benefits in terms of employment and tax revenues to help improve the quality of life and services for residents and businesses while also supporting Romania’s national economic and environmental goals,” said Johannes Busmann, founder and owner of Prowind GmbH.

The four wind farms are being developed as separate, special purpose companies (SPCs), with PWI serving as grid connection provider. Under Transelectrica’s grid connection agreement with PWI, the wind farms would supply up to 300 MW to the regional grid.

GE plans to supply a total of 120 of the company’s 2.5-100 class wind turbines for the four wind farms. The final schedule for shipment, installation and commercial operation of GE’s wind turbines has not yet been determined, but shipments could begin in the second half of 2012.

The projects are in line with Romania’s plans to produce 24 percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. The European Commission recently approved Romania’s plan to provide incentives for an increased use of renewable energy. With some of the strongest wind conditions in Europe, Romania has the potential to harness enough wind power to meet the electricity needs of one-quarter of the country’s 8 million households.