site.btaBulgaria, Greece, Romania to Develop Joint RES Projects in SE Europe

The energy ministers of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania Friday signed a Declaration of Intent to develop a series of initiatives which will become the backbone of renewable energy in the region. Meeting in Athens, the three ministers committed that the three countries will cooperate in preparing joint cross-border projects for offshore wind energy, renewable hydrogen and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Energy Minister said.

According to the document, the three countries support and encourage a joint initiative to explore and develop the sustainable use of offshore wind potential in the Black Sea and Aegean Sea. They will apply jointly for cross-border RES status under the current Connecting Europe Facility call for proposals. Cooperation on a joint project under a call for cross-border renewable energy projects is also under consideration.

The development, together with Romania, of initial exploration in the Black Sea area to define specific parameters for the development of offshore energy zones is one of the leading priorities in the Bulgarian government's programme. By including Greece in the initiative and extending it to the Aegean Sea, it will become possible to map the offshore wind potential of Southeastern Europe and lay the groundwork for the development of a harmonized regulatory framework.

The Declaration signed by the energy ministers of the three countries also envisages the creation of a regional cluster for hydrogen from renewable energy sources with the participation of the governments, transmission system operators and industry. The countries will seek both cross-border status under the current Connecting Europe Facility call and the possibility of a joint project. The regional cluster will develop cross-border projects to stimulate renewable energy, including wind and solar, to integrate it into a low emission and renewable hydrogen production system for the energy, industrial and transport sectors, and to develop a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure.

The declaration also envisages the development of cross-border charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

The development of projects of regional and community interest is aimed at achieving a just transition to a decarbonized climate-neutral economy, the Bulgarian Energy Ministry said.