site.btaRoad Infrastructure, Power Supply Operators, Central and Local Government Officials Discuss Measures for Building Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles

Mayors of 10 municipalities from across the country, Deputy Energy Minister Iva Petrova and Deputy Regional Development Minister Angeliva Boneva, and officials of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria, the Road Infrastructure Agency and the Electricity System Operator (ESO) met here Thursday to map out measures for building charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. A project by ESO envisages that close to 250 charging stations be built across the country in the coming five years, which will use zero-emission technologies. 

ESO CEO Angelin Tsachev said that all institutions should pool their efforts in support of the large-scale introduction of electric vehicles. "We expect the municipalities to encourage the construction of national infrastructure by providing spots close to the ESO substations and ESO will provide the necessary capacity and the adjacent infrastructure," he said.

ESO aims to have a national infrastructure of charging stations to cater for electric vehicles, as well as a network of hydrogen charging stations for public transport and heavy goods vehicles at key locations around the country. It plans to build 11 hydrogen charging stations at the inbound border arteries connecting the Republic of Bulgaria with Romania, Greece, Serbia, Turkey and North Macedonia, as well as in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna and Burgas.

The total value of the project is EUR 93 million. To secure the implementation of the investment, ESO has applied for funding from the Modernsaion Fund.

The national charging infrastructure will facilitate the use of electricity from renewable sources and the development of environmentally friendly transport throughout the country, including in settlements remote from the main roads, the ESO added.