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NEK CEO Georgi Dobrev met with established Japanese technology companies to present the company's strategic projects for the construction of new pumped storage hydropower plants. The meetings took place within the framework of the International Forum "Energy for a Clean Future: Bulgaria's Energy Vision," organized at the Bulgarian pavilion at the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, Japan.

Two specially made models one of the existing Chaira pumped storage hydropower plant and one of the future Dospat pumped storage hydropower plant—helped to perfectly show off NEK's ambitious plans to develop important projects for new pumped storage hydro facilities.

In addition to the expansion of Chaira PSHPP through the Yadenitsa project, NEK is developing five new pumped storage hydropower plant projects Together, these projects represent approximately 4.5 gigawatts of new installed capacity and over 70 gigawatt hours of storage. Their successful implementation will consolidate our country's role as a regional leader in long-term energy storage and as a driving force for achieving Europe's renewable energy targets through reliable, strategic system solutions.

The Forum was attended by European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan Marieta Arabadjieva, and provided an excellent platform for presenting Bulgaria's strategic role in the European energy transition.

NEK CEO Georgi Dobrev played a key role in the expert panel at the Compass '25 National Conference on "Major Projects in Bulgarian Energy through the Lens of Geopolitics, National Security, and Diplomacy."

In his speech, Mr. Dobrev presented in detail NEK's strategic projects for the construction of new pumped storage facilities – 5 new pumped storage hydropower plants in the Rhodopes and Rila, including increasing the capacity of the largest battery in the Balkans, Chaira pumped storage hydropower plant, through the Yadenitsa project and the construction of Chaira II pumped storage hydropower plant.

Together, these projects represent approximately 4.5 gigawatts of new installed capacity and over 70 gigawatt hours of storage. Innovative projects will create a sustainable basis for ensuring long-term storage capacity, enabling large-scale integration of RES, strengthening interconnections, and providing reliable balancing capacity.

"These projects are not just technical improvements—they are strategic factors for the energy transition of Bulgaria and the region, critical assets for the sustainability of the Southeast European system, and a contribution to the broader European agenda—including the Green Deal and the priorities under the Trans-European Energy Infrastructure Regulation," Georgi Dobrev emphasized.