Estonia to foster wind energy

TALLINN 's The Estoniangovernment has unveiled a plan for the country to meet 30 percent of its energyneeds with windfarms within the next decade.

The national electricity development plan envisages another30 percent of the country energy needs being met by oil shale.

Combined heat and power (CHP) stations would account for less than 10percent of the national power generating capacity. It appears from thedevelopment plan that by 2014 Estoniaintends to raise the capacity of CHP stations to 300 megawatts, with a maximumpeak time net capacity of 260 megawatts.

By the end of 2015 the country would set up two new 300 megawatt generatingunits at the Narva power stations in northeastern Estoniawith a net capacity of 270 megawatts, whereas by 2012 sulphur and nitrogencapture equipment would be installed at three existing 200 megawatt generatingunits.

The capacity of ground based wind farms would be increased to 400 megawattsby 2013, after which offshore capacities are to be developed.

In 2016, when Estonia will be no longer ableto use the old oil shale fired units, oil shale will account for 48 percent ofelectricity supply. CHP will account for 9 percent and wind farms and theirbalancing capacities for 21 percent.

Nuclear power comes in starting from 2023, according to the timelines heldout by the developmnent plan. In that year 600 megawatts of nuclear generatedpower should boost Estonia's guaranteedelectricity production capacity to 3,580 megawatts.