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RENEWABLE ENERGIES BETWEEN ECONOMIC PROFIT AND SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. CASE STUDY: WIND PARKS FROM DOBROGEA PLATEAU

Constantin-Razvan Oprea

Abstract

Historical province in south-eastern Romania, Dobrogea has been inhabited since ancient times as attested to identify objects belonging to Neolithic cultures Gumelnita and Hamangia. On the western coastline of the Black Sea have placed the Greek colonists from sec. VII i. Chr. In ancient times, Dobrogea was named Scythia Minor. The population has been long and constant, traditional occupation being agriculture, in the present share of arable land exceeding 2/3 of the total. The total area of the Dobrogea Plateau in 10 350 km2 meaning 4.35% of the country. Morphologically is characterized by small altitudes (89% of the territory is less than 200 m), the energy of the landscape (relief) is predominantly below 100 and the density of the fragmentation 0.5-1 km/km2. Under these conditions, the solidify was influenced especially temperatecontinental climate conditions of the steppe, predominantly chernozemics soils (77.23%), great (excellent) for agricultural use. The same conditions morphological characteristics associated with optimal conditions of wind (present of coastal wind, named ?crivatul? in the cold season) with the overrun of the 4 m/s have constituted favorable conditions of the installation and the extension in the last 10 years of the wind parks. According to data from Transelectrica (The National Company for the Transport of Electricity), the share of wind energy in the national energy system increased from 0.306% in 2010 to 11.495% in 2017. In 2018 was 9.758%. The highest growth was registered between the years 2010 and 2012. A large part of the wind turbines is located in the Dobrogea Plateau. For example, the first turbines were installed in 2007 in Baia (Tulcea County), and in the year 2012, in the Dobrogea Plateau were 500 turbines, that is half of the total number (1000), at the level of Romania. In addition to the obvious advantages but there are some disadvantages of wind parks. They are related to visual pollution, noise pollution and the reallocation of ecosystems (killing of birds). These aspects are visible especially in the framework of the wind parks, such as the one of the Cogealac-Fantanele, with 276 turbines (the largest onshore wind farm in Romania and in Europe). Another aspect is that of the removal of important areas of land. For example, for the installation of one turbine used 0.24 ha, to which are added and the surface of the access roads. This effect is obvious, especially at the level of the village, among the most affected being Fantanele, Cogealac, Chirnogeni, Casimcea, etc. This work proposes the analysis of the relationship between the economic benefit resulting from wind and the impact of changes in land use on the medium and long term in Dobrogea Plateau.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/5.3/s21.077

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