Bulgaria’s state-owned National Electricity Co. (NEK) has launched a EUR 350 million tender to build the Yadenitsa dam, which is expected to triple the water volume available to the Chaira pumped storage hydropower plant, the largest such facility in the Balkans.
The Yadenitsa project envisages constructing a tunnel more than six kilometers long to connect Chaira’s existing dam with the future Yadenitsa dam, increasing the water volume available to the pumped storage plant from 4.2 million cubic meters to 13.4 million cubic meters.
As a result, the Chaira pumped storage plant would have longer operating cycles and significantly improved efficiency and flexibility. The ultimate goal is to enable Chaira to operate 24/7, Capital wrote.
The investment value has increased by EUR 100 million
The investment was initially estimated at EUR 250 million, but it has now surged to EUR 350 million excluding VAT.
The project is expected to be financed from the state budget and European Union funds. Earlier this year, the EU added Yadenitsa to its Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list.
The project is expected to be co-financed from EU funds
The deadline to submit bids is November 4, and the selected contractor will be required to complete the project within 60 months.
Chaira has a nominal 784 MW in total pumping capacity and 864 MW for power production. It is part of NEK’s Belmeken-Sestrimo-Chaira hydropower complex. The proposed Yadenitsa dam would be part of the Belmeken-Sestrimo-Chaira cascade.
The project was originally launched in 1994, but was suspended due to financing problems and seismic risk considerations. It was updated in 2016 and 2017 and resumed in 2022.
Bulgaria seeks to boost energy storage capacity
Bulgaria has also identified ten suitable sites for further pumped storage hydropower plants. They include Dospat, Batak and Chaira 2.
Chaira was shut down in 2022, but NEK has since restarted two units and begun repairing a third. Bulgaria has two more pumped storage hydropower plants in operation: Orphey and Belmeken.
NEK and energy policy makers have made energy storage a top priority in Bulgaria. When it comes to the battery storage market, Bulgaria has been recording by far the strongest growth in Europe relative to the size of the economy and population.
