After the order of the caretaker government: NEC supplied water to Greece, and in return our country receives electricity

The waters of the Arda River are last used by the Ivaylovgrad Hydroelectric Power Plant before being sent for irrigation to Greek farmers.

Bulgaria has supplied water from the Arda River for the needs of irrigation of agricultural lands in Greece in exchange for the supply of electricity under the terms of a temporary trade agreement. This was stated by the Executive Director of the National Energy Company (NEC), Martin Georgiev, during a hearing in the National Assembly.

"In implementation of the negotiating position approved by the Council of Ministers, the National Electricity Company has concluded a temporary pecuniary agreement in its role as operator of the Arda cascade, providing the regulated water supply service with the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, which are nominated by the Greek side as a counterparty under this agreement," Georgiev said, quoted by BTA.

"The agreement is for the supply of regulated quantities of water during the remaining part after the expiry of the commitment under the reparation agreement during the last irrigation season of last year. Under this temporary commercial agreement, the National Electricity Company has supplied the quantities of regulated water specified in the negotiating position of the Council of Ministers, and these quantities have been determined taking into account the outflow from the Arda River and the annual security of the inflow to the dams in 2024," he said.

According to him, the provision of the service for the supply of regulated quantities of water is possible thanks to the functionality of the dam facilities and the Ivaylovgrad Hydroelectric Power Plant, which are the last stage of the Arda cascade and are located about 4.5 km from the Greek border. This water supply is actually carried out through the production of electricity from the hydroelectric power plant, which is the main purpose of the dam and the Ivaylovgrad hydroelectric power plant, said Georgiev.

"The implementation of the position approved by the Council of Ministers for the provision of the water supply service during the period of validity of the temporary commercial agreement, NEC has carried out through the production of electricity from the Ivaylovgrad hydroelectric power plant, which production was in line with the needs of the Bulgarian electricity system for these periods and days," Georgiev pointed out.

"The use of water from the dams managed by NEC is determined according to a monthly schedule for water use, which is approved by the Minister of Environment and Waters, in compliance with priorities set out in the Water Act. According to this schedule, through their work, NEC's hydroelectric power plants primarily satisfy the needs for drinking and domestic water supply and agricultural purposes," explained the NEC executive director.

He announced that the processed water supplied to the Greek side from the Ivaylovgrad Hydroelectric Power Plant is entirely within the monthly limits permitted by the Ministry of Environment and Water. In exchange for the quantities of regulated water provided, the National Electricity Company receives a supply of an equivalent amount of electricity during the winter months, which are characterized by increased electricity consumption, and this supply is in a profile that meets the needs of the country's electricity system in winter, including today, such a supply is also being made," said Georgiev, explaining that this is a load of 49 megawatts for three months for the winter period or a total of about 30,000 megawatt hours in a profile that corresponds to an evening peak.

"The regulated quantities of water supplied under the interim agreement and previously under the 1964 agreement cannot be used to meet Bulgaria's irrigation needs given the location of the Ivaylovgrad Hydroelectric Power Plant and its immediate proximity to the Bulgarian-Greek border," said Georgiev.

The NEC Chairman added that in this region there is no technical possibility and infrastructure for transferring water to other regions with agricultural land in our country. There are no agricultural territories that could be irrigated through the operation of the cascade, he added.

Deputy Minister of Energy Georgi Samandov explained that the energy coming from Greece within the framework of this temporary agreement amounts to about 30,000 megawatt hours, which satisfies the needs of a medium-sized Bulgarian city in the busiest period for the electrical system from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. In his words, this helps to save water from NEC's capacities.

The deal is entirely in the interest of Bulgaria, as evidenced by the increased quantities in the cascade with nearly 190 million cubic meters available, he said.

"I want to emphasize at the end of the heating season in which we are, that the water volumes stored in the dams operated by NEC are nearly 70 percent of their capacity," Samandov added.

The hearing in the National Assembly is at the initiative of Kostadin Kostadinov and Petar Petrov from Vazrazhdane regarding the current procedures and actions by the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria to protect the Bulgarian national interest, in connection with the intentions following the requests made by the Greek side, to conclude by the end of May 2025 a long-term commercial agreement to ensure regulated water supply along the Arda River for the needs of Greek farmers in Northern Greece.

According to the information provided, after the term of the reparation agreement for water supply between Greece and Bulgaria from 1964 expired in the middle of last year, NEC has signed a temporary commercial agreement to continue the supply of water to Greece until September 30, 2024 year.

A new long-term agreement is being discussed

The deputies heard today Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov, Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov and Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Tahov on the case.

The hearing was at the request of the "Vazrazhdane" parliamentary group, which caused a slight clash in the plenary hall and this forced the chairwoman Natalia Kiselova to declare a short break.

Immediately after its end, Prime Minister Zhelyazkov confirmed in the hall that by decision of the then Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, an inter-agency group was established, headed by Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, with the idea being for our country to negotiate participation in the management of the port in Alexandroupolis.

"It is necessary to establish what the government's intentions are to protect the Bulgarian national interest, what the state will receive in return for the regular supply of water to Greek farmers, given that Bulgaria is facing a water crisis," said the party's leader Kostadin Kostadinov at the beginning of the hearing. "Bulgaria uses no more than 10% of the waters of the Mesta River, whose use contract is also expiring soon. At the same time, farmers in the Gotse Delchev region do not have water for irrigation, while the Greeks have even built a dam on the river," added Kostadinov.

First, domestic agriculture, but also access to the port of Alexandroupolis

Speculations that someone is giving water to Greece and that Bulgaria does not benefit from this must be categorically dispelled, said the Minister of Environment and Waters, Manol Genov. Regarding the stated position of "Irrigation Systems" and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF), which mainly concerns the needs for irrigation water in the Arda River catchment area and fish farming in the dams built on the Arda River, 20 irrigation fields are planned. They amount to 54,410 decares, which need to be water-secured. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Tahov.

Regarding irrigation, it is expected that the total number of irrigation fields in the Arda River catchment area, planned for rehabilitation and construction, will cover an area of ​​nearly 100,000 decares, and will be provided with quantities depending on the type of crops grown, Tahov also said.

The agreement with Greece for regulated water supply from the Arda River is good because it gives businesses access to a Mediterranean port for 60 years. On the other hand, it is possible to continue supporting Greek agriculture with about 10 percent of the river's flow, commented Assen Vassilev, former finance minister in the Denkov cabinet and current MP from the "Continuing Change-Democratic Bulgaria" party, to journalists in parliament.

Bulgaria will seek options to expand agreements with Greece

"In 1964, the agreement on pending financial issues was concluded. Bulgaria was obliged to provide water to Greece from the Arda River for 60 years - 186 million cubic meters per year. The water was provided upon request, when Greece needed it. This obligation was reparation. Greece has undertaken to make an equalizer at its own expense," Prime Minister Zhelyazkov said in parliament. He explained that the caretaker government has concluded an agreement with our southern neighbor for temporary use in the period July-September 2024.

We will seek a temporary solution in order to have time to prepare a new agreement that goes beyond the subject of the specifically raised issues, the Prime Minister added to the deputies. But he refused to give more details. "I will not talk about Bulgaria's negotiating position, because this is also a matter of tactics, it is not just a matter of informing you and it is not just a matter of transparency," Zhelyazkov added.

10 months ago, one of the two contracts that Bulgaria has with Greece for supplying agricultural lands with water from the Mesta and Arda rivers expired. The contracts are part of the Reparations Agreement after World War II, and after their expiration, Greece again wants to use Bulgarian waters.

It is about the irrigation of nearly 20 thousand hectares of Greek lands. Greek farmers have already gone on protests accusing the government of not renewing the agreement for the use of the Arda River. An agreement for the use of its water is in force for the Mesta River until 2031. In exchange for the agreement for the Arda waters, Athens has opened three border crossings on the border with Bulgaria.

1964 agreement after reparations

The 1964 agreement concerning the waters of the Arda River has been fulfilled by Bulgaria, and even overfulfilled. The concerns of Greek farmers are completely understandable, the Arda waters support Greek agriculture extremely well. For so many years, however, the Greek side could have built a dam on its territory that would retain the Arda waters after they pass into Greek territory.

A few days ago, former Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Lyubka Kachakova called on the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) to not re-sign the agreements with Greece for the use of the Arda and Mesta rivers. Bulgaria also has another agreement with Greece - for the use of the waters of the Mesta River, in which the Bulgarian NEC has requested a paid use of the waters, with our country receiving additional amounts of electricity in the winter. This agreement expires in 2031. The Mesta River has been a big pain for many generations of hydro engineers, because we use only 10% of its capacity, and with the 1996 agreement we agreed to give Greece 29% of it /in fact, it uses 90% of its waters/. This has practically completely blocked the development of all projects along its course since 1970, the expert explained. "The Mesta River has no other similar analogue in the world - Bulgaria invests in forests, dams, afforestation, conservation, in return for which we use 10%, and Greece - the remaining 90% of it", Kachakova was indignant.