site.btaSofia to Build In-Pipe Hydropower Systems

Sofia will be building in-pipe hydropower systems. "Our goal is to work consistently to make Sofia a sustainable, energy-efficient and modern European city," Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev said as he signed a memorandum of cooperation for the construction of in-pipe hydro systems with the Regional Director of water company Veolia, Francois Deberg, on Wednesday. 

In-pipe systems are a form of renewable energy that produce electricity by capturing the kinetic energy of water moving through existing pipelines, like those in municipal water networks.

The Mayor, quoted by his press office, said that in-pipe systems will allow the city to produce clean electricity locally. Such facilities will not only contribute to reducing the capital's carbon footprint, but will also improve the management of water resources.

Deberg emphasized that the project is an example of how the existing infrastructure can be utilized to the maximum in order to produce clean energy. He noted that after commissioning, the in-pipe systems will produce nearly 12 GWh of renewable energy per year, which will help them save an additional 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year. 

At the beginning of 2025, a working group of municipal councilors and experts was established to study the possibility of implementing small hydroelectric power plants in cooperation with Veolia, of which Sofiyska Voda AD is part.