Rosen Hristov: Over 200 charging stations will be built near ESO facilities

The Minister of Energy Rosen Hristov announced two national programs that will be piloted in Burgas. The first is for the construction of over 200 charging stations for electric vehicles near the existing substations of the ESO network. "Substations provide the necessary voltage so that cars can be charged quickly, literally in 15-20 minutes. This is an important step to stimulate the use of electric cars", explained Hristov. The second program is to build hydrogen charging stations for heavy-duty trucks and buses at key locations in the country. "Thanks to the active role of the mayor Dimitar Nikolov, we are starting from Burgas, as the station for the production of green hydrogen is planned here, so as to close the cycle", added the minister. According to him, the experience of Oslo will be used, as well as the partnership under the Norwegian program.

The reason for Minister Hristov's visit to Burgas was the inspection and early commissioning after repair of the electricity transmission network supplying the region of the city, which was damaged by the storm in September. This necessitated the use of alternative routes, which, however, created uncertainty for the winter period. "We are making a commitment in the ESO investment program to include the renovation of the entire route, which is of great importance for the region, since the poles installed now are according to the latest standards and designed to withstand severe atmospheric influences", emphasized Hristov. The executive director of ESO Angelin Tsachev explained that the main power supply of the substation was started 15 days before the scheduled deadline for completing the repair. According to him, the recovery of the accident is worth a little over 1 million and 400 thousand BGN.

In Burgas, the minister of energy and the mayor of the municipality visited a nursery, where the realization of a project for geothermal heating and cooling, financed under the Norwegian program managed by the Ministry of Energy, is in progress.