The Japanese corporation Toshiba will assist Bulgaria to restore the work of the Chaira Pavement Plant as quickly as possible

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation will assist Bulgaria in restoring the work of the Chaira Pavement Plant as quickly as possible. Agreement on this was reached during the meeting of the Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov with the Managing Director and Director of "Energy Systems" at Tsutomu Takeuchi Corporation. The two talked in Tokyo, where Minister Malinov is on a working visit. The conversation between Minister Malinov and Tsutomu Takeuchi is a continuation of the active communication between the National Electric Company and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation regarding the corporation's potential opportunities for the restoration of the Chaira Pavement Plant.

As a short-term measure, in the next two weeks National Electric Company EAD will announce a public order for the repair of hydro unit 1 of the plant. This is necessary given its key importance for the country's energy system and its importance for guaranteeing electricity security. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation is the manufacturer and supplier of the equipment for the Chaira Pavement Plant and the owner of the technical and production documentation for the project. This necessitates the awarding of the repair works to this particular manufacturer. In the long term, the announcement of a public order for the supply and replacement of generators, turbines, main and auxiliary equipment and systems for control, testing and commissioning of hydro units 1 and 4 of the plant is to be announced, Minister Malinov informed.

"The participation of the corporation in the repair and restoration activities of the plant is of key importance for the successful continuation of its reliable operation in the future," said Minister Malinov. According to him, the deepening of cooperation between Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation and the National Electric Company is a leading factor in ensuring the security of the country's electricity system. Minister Malinov and Tsutomu Takeuchi discussed other potential opportunities for investment by Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation in the Bulgarian energy sector.

During his visit to Japan, the energy minister also spoke with Toshiaki Higashihara, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Hitachi Company, as well as with Makoto Takashima, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank. The two are co-chairmen of the Committee for Relations with Europe in the largest business organization in the country - Keidanren, which unites companies from various sectors of the Japanese economy. The cooperation between Bulgarian and Japanese companies to achieve energy transformation in our country was one of the central topics of this conversation. The parties agreed that by the end of this year, Bulgaria will host a business forum with the participation of companies from both countries.

Hitachi expressed interest in participating in the expansion of the electricity transmission network in Bulgaria. The company also stated its readiness to share its experience in the construction of transformers, as well as in the field of small modular reactors, it became clear during the conversation.

The Japanese export and investment insurance agency NEXI will assist any Japanese company that is interested in working with Bulgaria. This was discussed during the conversation between Minister Malinov and Atsuo Kuroda, chairman and CEO of the agency.

In front of his hosts, Minister Malinov expressed his confidence that his visit to Tokyo is an excellent basis for the future deepening of cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan, which already has a ten-year history. 2024 marks 115 years since the first official contacts between the two countries and 85 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.

As part of his visit to Japan, Minister Malinov also met with the president of the Group for Friendship with Bulgaria in the Upper House of the Parliament, Junichi Ishii. Promotion of ties between the two countries in all areas of mutual interest – business, tourism, exchange of know-how, culture, education and others – was at the center of the conversation.