The European Investment Bank and Bulgaria’s national electricity company (NEK) signed an agreement for consultancy assistance in the preparation of a feasibility study for the implementation of the Dospat and Batak pumped-storage power plants. Per the agreement, the Bank will provide NEK with a technical assistance grant to finance the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
Two 800-MW pumped-storage hydropower projects are located in the southwestern part of the country.
EIB Advisory will examine the technical feasibility and economic viability of the two projects, while also assessing their benefits and risks, thereby allowing NEK to make informed decisions about the development process.
The new PSHPPs will be built at hydropower cascade dams and reservoirs near the towns of Batak and Dospat. The cost of each is estimated at EUR 900 million. They are both planned for completion by 2032 and are part of the Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2024 of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
NEK operates 31 hydropower and pumped-storage plants with a generating capacity of 2,739 MW and a pumping capacity of 932 MW.
