Bulgaria is re-launching to joint hydroelectric projects with Romania on the Danube river – ‘Nikopol – Turnu Magurele’ and ‘Silistra – Calarasi’. The Energy and Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov has been determined to coordinate and govern them.

The ‘Nikopol – Turnu Magurele’ project envisages the construction of a dam near the Bulgarian town Nikopol and only 7km away from Belene, where Bulgaria’s second nuclear power plant’s construction is going according to schedule. Its goal will be to improve the navigation of the river and take advantage of its hydroelectric potential. The dam will be about 16m wide and will allow the construction of a highway and a railroad connecting Bulgaria and Romania. It will give both countries electricity production of 440MW which will produce about 2200GW/h of electricity per year.

The ‘Silistra – Calarasi’ project will be similar but smaller. The dam will be constructed near the Bulgarian town Silistra and will have capacity of 265MW and production of 1642GW/h electricity per year.