With the modernisation of the Sestrimo hydropower plant, Bulgaria’s electric company NEK successfully completed the rehabilitation of the largest hydropower cascade in the country, Belmeken-Sestrimo-Momina Klisura.
The successful implementation of the rehabilitation of both Sestrimo HPP and the power plants of the whole cascade is of key importance for ensuring the stability and reliability of the Bulgarian power system.
“The modernisation ensures failure-free operation of the plants, which will continue to be a reliable source of renewable energy for decades to come,” emphasised NEK CEO, Martin Georgiev.
“The flexibility of the hydropower capacities allows successful balancing of the electricity system not only in Bulgaria but also in the region, which makes Belmeken-Sestrimo-Momina Klisura cascade a key component for the Bulgarian energy sector,” added the Deputy Energy Minister, Georgi Samandov.
The scope of the rehabilitation of Sestrimo HPP includes design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of turbine equipment, plant-wide control and monitoring systems and new operator stations. The modernisation will contribute to reducing maintenance costs, improving performance in terms of voltage levels and frequency control, increasing operational reliability and making more efficient use of the available hydropotential.
The cost of the rehabilitation of Sestrimo HPP was 4,4 million euros and the cost of the entire cascade was 19,9 million euros. The total budget of the agreement was 37 million euros, of which 70 per cent was financed by the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support FundKIDSF and 30 per cent by NEK.