Several Austrian companies said that they were interested in launching renewable energy resources projects in Bulgaria.

Some of the projects involved the construction of hydroelectric power plants or co-generation, Deputy Environment and Water Affairs Minister Atanas Konstantinov said at the opening of a renewable resources conference in Bulgaria.

Huge interest towards such projects existed, he said as quoted by Darik Radio.

Austrian agriculture minister Josef Proll said that Austria was leader in Europe in environmental protection and renewable energy resources. Twenty three per cent of the energy in Austria was produced from renewable resources. This figure would rise to 85 per cent in 2020, he said.

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov said that 11 per cent of the energy in Bulgaria in 2006 was produced using water, wind or biomass.

The draft law on renewable energy resources was ready and would be presented to Bulgaria's parliament by the end of 2006, Ovcharov said.

Usage of renewable resources was among the energy priorities of the Cabinet, Darik reported.