Bulgaria’s Wind Farms Use Just 0.1% of Agricultural Land, Debunking Myths

Disinformation around renewable energy sources has fueled misconceptions about wind turbines, turning them into a perceived threat, according to Sevda Yoncheva, a member of the Management Board of the Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity (APSTE).

Yoncheva shared her insights during the workshop “20 Years of Wind Energy in Bulgaria,” organized jointly by APSTE and the Bulgarian Wind Energy Association (BGVEA) in Kavarna. A widely circulated myth suggests that wind turbines are constructed on fertile agricultural land, causing its destruction. However, Yoncheva presented data that clearly refutes this claim.

Bulgaria has 52 million decares of agricultural land, including 35 million decares of arable land. So far, only 42,000 decares - equivalent to 0.1% of all agricultural land - are occupied by solar and wind energy facilities. Even if all planned renewable energy projects were implemented, they would cover up to 100,000 decares, still far less than the 240,000 decares currently used by the country’s coal-fired power plants.

Key land-use figures:

• Current area occupied by RES: 42,000 decares (0.1% of agricultural land)

• Estimated area for future RES projects: up to 100,000 decares

• Area occupied by coal-fired power plants: 240,000 decares

Yoncheva also pointed out that the region holds significant potential for wind energy, particularly in Northeastern Bulgaria. The favorable natural conditions and consistent winds there could provide power sufficient for hundreds of thousands of energy storage batteries.

In a regional context, Romania is currently constructing three wind farms worth over €400 million, highlighting the growing investment in renewable energy infrastructure in Eastern Europe.