The project “LIFE Safe Grid for Burgas” of Elektrorazpredelenie Yug, partnered by Bulgarian Society for Protection of Birds (BSPB), is implemented under the LIFE Programme of the European Commission
On 9 and 10 October 2024, in Burgas was held the annual meeting of projects in Bulgaria which are implemented under the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. The meeting was hosted by Elektrorazpredelenie Yug (part of EVN). The company is a beneficiary of the project “LIFE Safe Grid for Burgas” in partnership with BSPB, and the project is co-financed by the LIFE Programme. The project is implemented in 4 areas of the NATURA 2000 network in the district of Burgas – Atanasovsko Lake, Burgas Lake, Mandra-Poda Complex and Pomorie Lake, over which passes one of the largest migratory routes of birds in Europe – Via Pontica.
At the annual meeting of LIFE projects, over 50 participants from various organizations, including institutions, NGOs, business representatives, municipalities, and others, took part. The management of the National Contact Point (NCP) of the LIFE Programme for Bulgaria at the Ministry of Environment and Waters (MoEW) also gave a presentation, along with an expert from the LIFE Programme at the European Commission’s CINEA Agency.
The meeting was attended by Zdravko Bratoev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Elektrorazpredelenie Yug, Mrs. Kalina Trifonova, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of EVN Bulgaria, Mrs. Chanka Koralska, Deputy Mayor of Burgas Municipality, Prof. Mariya Neykova, Governor of Burgas District, etc.
During the forum, over 25 projects were presented in various fields such as ecology, biodiversity, environmental protection, circular economy, and more.
The participants in the seminar visited also the Nature Conservation Center “Poda” near Burgas, where ecologists from BSPB informed about the importance of the Burgas wetlands for the migration of birds from all over Europe. EP Yug also presented field activities aimed at securing overhead power lines in the area of Bratovo village. The power lines have been secured with the most advanced means of protection and have shown high efficiency. Since the implementation of the securing measures, there have been no recorded casualties or emergency shutdowns.
The project “LIFE Safe Grid for Burgas” of Elektrorazpredelenie Yug aims to protect endangered bird species from electrocution along the Via Pontica migration route, which is the second most important migration route for wild birds in Europe. So far, the project has secured over 1,200 electric poles, creating nearly 120 km of safe ground infrastructure for birds. As a result of this activity, there have been no recorded bird casualties in the area of the secured poles, and grid outages have been minimized. This demonstrated the effective technical solutions implemented by the company.
The total cost of the project is nearly EUR 5,5 million, with 75% of the funds being provided by the LIFE Programme of the European Commission and 25% by Elektrorazpredelenie Yug.
Project “LIFE Safe Grid for Burgas: http://lifesafegridforburgas.bg/bg/ http://lifesafegridforburgas.bg/bg/
