The Director General "Energy" of the EC got acquainted with the implementation of the ESO project for digital transformation of the electricity transmission network

During his visit to Bulgaria, the head of the General Directorate "Energy" of the EC, Dite Yul Jorgensen, visited the Central Dispatch Office of ESO and one of the company's substations - "Iskar Industry" 110/20/6 kV, which is fully automated and remotely controlled from a base station.

The project for the digital transformation and automated management of the company's 110/20 kV substations is part of the NRSP, with a total budget of BGN 611 million, BGN 370 million of which is co-financed by the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism. The purpose of the investment is to increase the capacity of the network for the integration of newly constructed RES capacities. As part of the project, ESO modernized five support points throughout the country for remote control and completed the automation of the 110 kV/Sr.N substations of the power transmission operator.

Iskar Industry 110/20/6 kV substation is one of the fully automated substations within the project, which is controlled remotely from the support point in Sofia. The amount of the investment reaches nearly 3 million 560 thousand BGN. With the funds, ESO has carried out activities on the introduction of systems for automated control of the substation and complete reconstruction of the open distribution system with the provision of an opportunity for its expansion in view of the development of the area.

During her visit to the Central Dispatch Office of ESO, the head of the General Directorate "Energy" of the EC, Dite Yul Jorgensen, was informed by the Minister of Energy, Rumen Radev, of the projects implemented by ESO, to develop the electricity transmission network and increase its transmission capabilities in response of the goals of the green transition and ensuring the integration of newly constructed RES capacities. Deputy Minister Krasimir Nenov and Executive Director of BEH Ivan Andreev also participated in the delegation.

The Director of the Central Dispatch Department of ESO, Dimitar Zarchev, indicated the expectation that in 2024 another 1,500 MW of new RES plants will be added to the grid, with which the total power of the installed photovoltaic plants will reach 4,500 MW. Intersystem connectivity and the integration of Bulgaria into the common European electricity market are a guarantee for the utilization of this energy, through its trading on the free market, which helps to balance the country's electricity system, stressed Dimitar Zarchev. He introduced the head of the General Directorate "Energy" of the EC - Dite Yul Jorgensen, to the ESO's platforms for providing balancing services for frequency regulation and exchange capacities, to which RES producers are already registered.