site.btaEnergy Minister, Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria Discuss Bilateral Energy Cooperation

Caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria Michigami Hisashi discussed the deepening of bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. They agreed there is a wide range of opportunities to expand joint work between Bulgarian and Japanese companies in implementing the energy transition, the Energy Ministry’s press center said here on Tuesday.

The main topic of the talks was the restoration of the largest pumped storage plant in Southeast Europe, the Chaira Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant. "The resumption of Chaira's operation is a top priority for the Bulgarian side. It is directly linked to Bulgaria's national security, as it will enable energy storage provide stability and predictability of the electricity price," Minister Malinov said.

No interest was expressed and no bid was submitted for the public procurement, announced by the National Electricity Company EAD, for the repair of Chaira's fourth hydraulic unit. A new procurement is to be launched.

"In the field of nuclear energy, our country is studying the experience of building and operating small modular reactors. In this context, we would get acquainted with the technologies of Japanese companies working in this field," Malinov said. He also noted the role of energy storage batteries as a key instrument in the implementation of the energy transition. "We would like the Bulgarian market to have the best technologies in terms of both energy storage batteries and carbon capture," the Minister added. Another topic that was discussed as an opportunity for potential cooperation was the cyber security of strategic energy sites in Bulgaria.