Renewables

Bulgaria to replace coal complex with solar gigawatts

Bulgaria-replace-coal-complex-solar-gigawatts

Photo: iStock

Published

March 10, 2023

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

March 10, 2023

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

Bulgaria is leaning on nuclear power, renewables and energy efficiency in its efforts to achieve full decarbonization by 2050, Minister of Energy Rossen Hristov said. The government is discussing plans to gradually install several gigawatts of solar power facilities within the Maritsa East Mines (Mini Maritsa iztok) complex.

Electricity consumption will be increasing with the electrification of industry and transportation and the introduction of hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas, Minister of Energy of Bulgaria Rossen Hristov said, as quoted by Dir.bg. In his view, the simultaneous deployment of nuclear and renewable energy capacities is the most appropriate way for the country to decarbonize by mid-century and secure enough electricity.

Bulgaria needs power at “an extremely affordable price while maintaining its leading position in the region as an exporter,” Hristov pointed out. He also highlighted the positive effects of energy efficiency measures, especially for industry.

Intensive negotiations with investors

The vision for the transformation of the electricity sector includes the gradual transformation of the Maritsa iztok (Maritsa East) coal complex, the minister underscored. He said the government is discussing a project to install photovoltaic systems of “several gigawatts” on the territory of Mini Maritsa iztok or Maritsa East Mines, the company operating open-pit mines and supplying power plants with coal.

The plans for the energy transition are relying on the funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Hristov revealed the government is “negotiating intensively with a number of investors” about building solar power plants on degraded coal land and that it needs to be recultivated.

Grid saturation hampers renewables deployment

Bulgaria wants to keep the existing electricity capacities as long as it is necessary to avoid shocks and an economic impact, the energy minister stressed. The biggest issues for the expansion of renewable energy are the necessary simplification of the legal framework and the bottlenecks in network upgrades, in his view. The latter is being addressed with investment projects and the allocation of European funds, Hristov said.

Funds intended for geothermal power projects should be used for geothermal heating, Hristov said

As for storage, the government’s vision includes the construction of another pumped storage hydropower plant, according to the minister. Turning to geothermal energy, he said the funds earmarked for the sector should be diverted from geothermal power projects and used for heating facilities.

In the rest of Southeastern Europe, major solar power projects are underway on depleted coal mines and accompanying ash and slag dumps in Greece. North Macedonia and Slovenia have installed the first such facilities while Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* are still developing projects.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

bih republic of srpska hydropower plants bistrica tunnels petar djokic

Three hydropower plants on Bistrica river to be finished by end-2026

18 April 2025 - Chinese company AVIC is in charge of building the three hydropower plants on the Bistrica, with a total capacity of 39 MW

albania france kesh afd drin hydropower energy storage

Albania’s KESH, France’s AFD sign MoU on hydropower management, energy storage 

18 April 2025 - KESH and Agence Française de Développement have signed an MoU on the Drin cascade management and advanced energy storage planning

bih federation ephzhb court poklecani urban permit arhaus

Supreme Court of Federation of BiH annulls urban permit for Poklečani wind farm

17 April 2025 - The project is being developed by Elektroprivreda HZHB, one of the three state-owned power utilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Minister Admir Sahmanović formally assumes energy, mining portfolio in Montenegro

Minister Admir Šahmanović formally assumes energy, mining portfolio in Montenegro

17 April 2025 - Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro Admir Šahmanović was formally voted in as the two ministries that he ran were merged