Hydroelectricity in Bulgaria

The dam of Chaira Hydro Power Plant, the largest in Bulgaria

In 2021, hydroelectricity generated 11% of Bulgaria's electricity.^[1] As of 2020, the country's total installed electricity capacity was approximately 12,839 MW, with hydropower contributing 25%, or 3,213 MW.^[2]

In Bulgaria, the development of small hydropower plants (SHP) is supported by various factors, including open electricity and financial markets, higher feed-in tariffs (FITs) for SHP compared to large hydropower, and diverse financing options such as bank credit, direct private investments, and public–private partnerships. Additionally, opportunities for financing through special trust funds and EU-supported programs are available.^[2]

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

The possibility of two hydro dams on the Danube, built and shared in conjunction with Romania,were under consideration in 2023.^[3]

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.^[4]

Current facilities

Generating over 10% of Bulgaria's electricity, most hydropower plants are owned by NEK EAD and located in the Rhodope Mountains and Rila. The total installed capacity of the NEK EAD-owned HPPs is 2,737 MW.^[5] They are grouped in four main hydropower cascades that include several HPPs, dams and other facilities each — Belmeken–Sestrimo–Chaira (1,599 MW)^[6] in eastern Rila and the western Rhodopes, Dospat–Vacha (500 MW)^[6] in the western Rhodopes, Arda (325 MW)^[6] in the eastern Rhodopes and Batak (254 MW)^[6] in the western Rhodopes. All of these are located in the Maritsa river drainage, though water is also collected from neighbouring basins, such as those of the Mesta and the Struma via gathering derivations and tunnels.^[7] There are three pumped storage hydro power plants, including the Chaira PSHPP (864 MW) — the largest in Southeastern Europe,^[8] with an important function to balance short-term consumption changes or shortages in the national grid.^[5]

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.^[9]^{(p. 12, p. 32)} They are arranged in four series, or "cascades", of between three and five reservoirs, and all are located in the Rhodope mountains in Southwestern Bulgaria. Three of the stations are pumped-storage stations (PS-HPP).^[9]^(p. 14) Some analysts say that further modernization, such as of its pumped storage hydro, could be profitable.^[10]

Name	Location	Production capacity (MW)	Total production (2011) (MWh)	Constructed	Notes
Belmeken–Sestrimo–Chaira Cascade	Kriva reka, Yadenitsa	1 599	1 395 000	–	–
Chaira PS-HPP		864	774 000	1995	Pumped hydro
Belmeken PS-HPP		375	293 000	1975	Pumped hydro
Sestrimo HPP		240	222 000	1975	–
Momina Klisura HPP		120	105 000	1975	–
Dospat–Vacha Cascade	Vacha	464	530 000		–
Teshel HPP		60	120 000	1972	–
Devin HPP		82	79 000	1984	–
Tsankov Kamak HPP		82	102 000	2011	–
Orfey PS-HPP		160	116 000	1975	Pumped hydro
Krichim HPP		80	113 000	1973	–
Batak Cascade	Stara Reka, Chepinska reka, Devinska reka	254	506 000	1955	–
Batak HPP		47	78 000	1958	–
Peshtera HPP		136	300 000	1959	–
Aleko HPP		71	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	–	–

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

v t e Hydroelectricity in Europe
Sovereign states	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
States with limited recognition	Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria
Dependencies and other entities	Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard

v t e Power plants in Bulgaria with more than 100 MW installed capacity
Nuclear power plants	Kozloduy - 3,760 MW Belene - 2,000 MW
Thermal power plants	Maritsa Iztok 2 - 1,470 MW Varna - 1,260 MW Maritsa Iztok 3 - 900 MW Bobov Dol - 630 MW Ruse Iztok - 600 MW Maritsa Iztok 1 - 500 MW Maritsa 3 - 240 MW Republika - 180 MW Sofia - 130 MW Sofia Iztok - 100 MW
Hydro power plants	Belmeken–Sestrimo–Chaira Cascade - 1,575 MW (Chaira - 840 MW, Belmeken - 375 MW, Sestrimo - 240 MW, Momina Klisura - 120 MW) Dospat–Vacha Cascade - 500 MW (Orphey - 165 MW, Devin - 88 MW, Tsankov Kamak - 86 MW, Krichim - 80 MW, Teshel - 60 MW) Batak Cascade - 254 MW (Peshtera - 136 MW, Aleko - 71 MW, Batak - 47 MW) Kardzhali - 170 MW Gorna Arda - 160 MW Ivailovgrad - 110 MW

Hydroelectricity in Bulgaria

Current facilities

Largest power plants

See also

References

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