Municipalities in Bulgaria can apply for funds for geothermal energy

Local authorities and state institutions in Bulgaria are preparing geothermal energy projects for grants worth EUR 3.4 million in total. Beneficiaries can install heating and cooling facilities for buildings.

The Ministry of Energy of Bulgaria published a call for proposals for the use of geothermal energy for heating or and cooling in state or municipal buildings, funded by the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Security program. Municipal administrations and state institutions can apply for grants between EUR 200,000 and EUR 400,000 to cover up to 100% of the projects.

The endeavor will be implemented under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2014-2020 and funded under the Norwegian program within EEA Grants. It is worth EUR 3.4 million, of which Bulgaria’s share is 15%.

Deadline is September 10

Municipalities and state institutions can apply by September 10. The program is implemented in partnership with the Norwegian Water and Energy Directorate (NVE) and the National Energy Authority of Iceland (OS).

The scheme was launched to install geothermal energy units in Bulgaria with a combined capacity of 5 MW

The grants are intended for the reconstruction of existing systems and for installing new heating or heating and cooling systems. According to the documentation, the target capacity is 5 MW in total, which should lower annual carbon dioxide emissions by 54.280 tons. The expected output is 412 GWh per year.

Only energy-efficient buildings are eligible

The duration of each project can’t exceed 18 months and they all must end by April 30, 2024. The institutions can apply for buildings with at least basic energy efficiency measures have been implemented. Both mineral water and groundwater with a constant temperature can be used.

Only a few municipalities in the southwest of Bulgaria have entered such geothermal energy projects so far.

Earlier this year, twenty local authorities in the country were selected for grants under the same program, for the overhaul of street lighting systems. The project is worth almost EUR 9.2 million in total. The funds for EEA Grants are provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, while Norway also has a separate program, called Norway Grants.