Czech state to provide three billion crowns for wind farm construction, ministry launches grant call

The state will provide three billion crowns for the construction of wind farms. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) has launched a new grant call, under which a single project can receive up to 750 million crowns. The ministry will accept applications until the end of October next year. The MPO announced this today. Czechia has long lagged in wind power generation, which accounts for only one percent of total domestic energy consumption.

The ministry said the grant call addresses the underused potential of wind energy in the Czech Republic. „This is one of the low-cost renewable energy sources. Developing it will strengthen our energy security, help us better protect the environment and create new job opportunities in the regions,“ said Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela (STAN). The ministry aims to increase installed wind power capacity by up to five times, he said.

According to the ministry, the grant call contributes to meeting energy and climate targets and commitments under EU rules. „We believe there will be strong demand from businesses to implement wind farm projects. This will help increase self-sufficiency in electricity supplies and meet the Czech Republic’s climate and energy targets,“ added Marian Piecha, senior director of the EU Funds Section. The intermediary body is the Business and Innovation Agency.

Wind farms in the Czech Republic generated 693 megawatt-hours of electricity last year, up 9.5 percent year on year. Even so, domestic wind turbines cover only one percent of domestic consumption. The Czech Republic therefore lags significantly behind the European average, which rose to 19 percent last year. Neighbouring countries also generate more electricity from wind, according to data from the Chamber of Renewable Energy Sources (OZE) and the Czech Wind Energy Association.