Hydroelectricity in Bulgaria

Hydroelectricity generated 11% of Bulgaria’s electricity in 2021.[1]

Future plans

The government 2030 energy plan calls for an additional 870MW of hydro capacity.

The possibility of two hydro dams on the Danube river, built and shared in conjunction with Romania are under consideration in 2023.[2]

Two pumped hydro plants are also planned using the existing Dospat Reservoir and the reservoir at Batak, each would generate 800MW capacity and provide a means to use excess wind and solar energy by pumping the water back up to the dams. Completion could be by 2032.[3]

Current facilities

The 15 largest HEP stations, all owned by the state-run National Electricity Company, account for most of the country's HEP installed capacity and HEP power.[4](p. 12,p. 32) They are arranged in four series, or "cascades", of between 3 and 5 reservoirs, and all are located in the Rhodope mountains in Southwestern Bulgaria. Three of the stations are pumped-storage stations ("PS-HPP").[4](p. 14) Some analysts say that further modernization, such as of its pumped storage hydro, could be profitable.[5]

Largest power plants
Name Location Production Capacity
(MW)		 Total production (2011)
(MWh)		 Constructed Notes
Belmeken-Sestrimo-Chaira Cascade Kriva Reka 1 599 1 395 000 – –
Chaira PS-HPP 864 774 000 1995 Pumped Hydro
Belmeken PS-HPP 375 293 000 Pumped Hydro
Sestrimo HPP 240 222 000 –
Momina Klisura HPP 120 105 000 –
Dospat-Vacha Cascade Vacha River 464 530 000 –
Teshel HPP 60 120 000 1972 –
Devin HPP 82 79 000 –
Tsankov Kamak HPP 82 102 000 2011 –
Orfey PS-HPP 160 116 000 1975 Pumped Hydro
Krichim HPP 80 113 000 –
Batak Cascade Stara Reka, Devinska River, others 241 506 000 1955 –
Batak HPP 46 78 000 1958 –
Peshtera HPP 125 300 000 1959 –
Aleko HPP 70 128 000 1959 –
Arda Cascade (or "Lower Arda Cascade") Arda River 326 251 000 –
Kardjali HPP 124 74 500 1957 –
Studen Kladenets HPP 82 92 000 1958 –
Ivaylovgrad HPP 120 85 000 1964 –
Other HPPs 83 165 000 –
Total 2 713 2 847 000 – –

NEK also owns and looks after several large dams which are either used for providing fresh water only, to store water for HPPs downriver, or else have provided HEP power in the past but have ceased to do so.[4](p. 15-17) These include –

Name Location Production Capacity
(MW)		 Total production (2011)
(MWh)		 Constructed Notes
Iskar Reservoir Iskar River, Sofia – – 1954 –
Golyam Beglik Reservoir Kriva Reka, upriver of Belmeken-Chaira Cascade – – 1951 –
Dospat Reservoir Osinska River, upriver of Batak Cascade – – 1967 –
Koprinka Reservoir Tundja River, near Kazanlak – – 1956 Covers the ancient city of Seuthopolis

There is also a project for an "Upper Arda Cascade", which has been delayed due to complications. This cascade should include three HPPs at Madan, Ardino and Kitnitsa.

See also

References
  1. "Bulgaria - Energy". www.trade.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  2. "Bulgaria & Romania's plans for two new Danube hydropower plants raise environmental, nuclear fears". 22 August 2023.
  3. "Bulgaria unveils two pumped storage hydropower projects of 800 MW each". 11 October 2023.
  4. National Electricity Company – Annual Report 2011 (PDF – direct download) Archived 2013-01-31 at the Wayback Machine (NEK source page Archived 2013-03-19 at the Wayback Machine), NEK, published mid-2012. Retrieved 19 Mar 2013.
  5. Gotev, Georgi (2022-02-16). "Think-tank: Bulgaria will be a net importer of electricity after 2030". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
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