Bulgaria Steps Up as Power Grid Crisis Hits North Macedonia and the Balkans

Bulgaria demonstrated its role as a key stabilizer in the regional power grid during the recent energy crisis that struck Southeastern Europe. Early this morning, a significant power grid failure affected several countries, including North Macedonia and Serbia, as low electricity consumption led to high voltage levels and the accumulation of reactive energy. Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov addressed the situation, emphasizing Bulgaria’s proactive measures to prevent widespread outages.

In Bulgaria, despite similarly low consumption, the power grid remained stable. Stankov highlighted the importance of compensating capacities, explaining that the country possesses 90% of such facilities in Southeast Europe. "Our system remains stable because we have both generating and compensating capacities," he said. "We have not left a single consumer in Bulgaria, whether household or industrial, without power."

North Macedonia, however, faced significant disruptions as its transformer stations reacted to rising voltage levels, triggering protective measures that cut off power in several regions. According to Minister Stankov, "At 5 a.m., we guaranteed our colleagues from North Macedonia that we would restore the Belasitsa power line." The line operates at 110 kilovolts, and Bulgaria’s compensating facilities were crucial in stabilizing the grid and restoring supply.

The Minister also noted that, unlike in Portugal and Spain three weeks ago, photovoltaic parks did not contribute to the crisis, as the failure occurred in the early morning hours, a period of low renewable energy generation. "In this case, renewable energy had no share in the problem. The issue was low energy consumption combined with a large number of power lines operating without demand," he explained.

Bulgaria’s quick response and capacity to manage reactive energy mitigated the extent of the outage, preventing the crisis from spreading further. Minister Stankov stressed the importance of continued investment in compensatory capacities to maintain stability in the power grid. He added that Bulgaria is currently collaborating with the European Investment Bank to construct at least three new pumped storage power plants (PAWPPs) in the Rhodope region, aimed at further enhancing regional grid resilience.

Despite the efforts to restore power, challenges remain in Serbia and Croatia, where similar compensating facilities are lacking. "We will continue to assist our neighbors," Stankov said, confirming that Bulgaria’s grid will remain on standby to support other regional networks in need of stabilization. The incident underscored Bulgaria’s strategic importance as a power grid balancer in Southeast Europe, reinforcing its position as a regional leader in energy security.