Various investors are planning to build power generation projects from renewable energy sources with a total installed capacity of 19,000 MW by 2033 in Bulgaria, according to data presented by the country’s transmission system operator.
Renewable energy facilities, including those that produce energy from solar, wind and hydro sources, account for 90% of the planned capacity, or 17,500 MW.
The majority, or 85%, of renewable energy projects are for solar power plants.
Bulgaria is already home to the largest photovoltaic project in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. This year alone, around 1,500 MW of new solar capacity is expected to be connected to the grid.
The operator of the transmission network emphasized that the forecasts do not include new nuclear power plants, while emphasizing that this is a complex process that requires a long time for construction.
Currently, Bulgaria is preparing to build a new nuclear power plant in the northwest of the country.
The operator added that the country will transform from an exporter to an importer of electricity in the coming years.
One of the main reasons for the promotion of production from renewable sources is also the decline of energy production from coal-fired power plants, due to the high cost of CO2 emissions.
Without financial support, coal-fired power plants will stop producing electricity, the transmission system operator said.
In June, Bulgaria recorded its lowest electricity output since 2019, driven by a drop in output from coal-fired power plants, which was 19% lower than the previous year.
As a result, ContourGlobal was forced to lay off most employees from the Maritsa East 3 plant, while the state-owned Maritsa East 2 received a year’s support from the government.
Otherwise, ContourGlobal was selected to build the new coal-fired power plant in Kosovo.
Source: kosovo.energy
