Minister Petkova: ESO receives more than BGN 1.2 million grant for one of the strategic EU projects in the field of smart grids
"Electricity System Operator" EAD is included as a strategic partner in the project "Cross-border management of intermittent energy sources and installations for energy storage, enabling a trans-national market in wholesale - CROSSBOW". Its total cost exceeds EUR 21 million, out of which over EUR 17 million is grant co-financing. The project is funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Commission. ESO EAD will receive over 1.2 million BGN grant for the implementation of the activities under the project, defined as strategic for the European Union in the field of smart grids. The main purpose of the project is to offer shared use of resources to foster cross-border management of variable renewable energy sources.
"We start the project on the eve of the first Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, a clear sign that we are committed to the priority of applying the legislative package "Clean Energy for all Europeans" and the integration of the electricity markets in the Western Balkans", Temenuzhka Petkova said at the opening of the meeting at the Ministry of Energy. A two-day meeting brings together participants from 14 countries, including 8 transmission system operators: Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro.
ESO EAD has experience in solving operational difficulties related to the balance between electricity generation and electricity use. In this regard, the system operator will take part in the demonstrations under the CROSSBOW project on this case and the respective measures undertaken. Chaira PSHPP could expand its work on balancing the market in the region. The objective of CROSSBOW is to analyze the data and help the use of renewable energy at regional level with neighbouring countries.
"ESO involvement in CROSSBOW project will enable the operators in the region to exchange best practices in the management of the electricity system", Minister Petkova underlined. She added that the establishment of regional coordination center in South East Europe, similar to the existing ones in Western and Central Europe, will ensure the reliability and the efficiency of the transmission system in the region.
The project "CROSSBOW" is led by ETRA GROUP and it intends to provide a shared use of resources to foster cross-border management of intermittent renewable energy sources and energy storage facilities. This enables a wider deployment of clean energy sources, reduction of network operational costs and improvement of the economic benefits of clean energy.
The results of the project "CROSSBOW" will be analyzed by the eight transmission system operators in South East Europe. There will be demonstrations of individual cases addressing transnational challenges that each of the countries involved in the project is facing.
