A project worth 5.5 million euros envisages the digging of over 50 km of power lines underground in the area of ​​the wetlands around Burgas - Lake Atanasovo, Lake Vaya, the Mandra-Poda complex and Lake Pomorie, announced the Municipality of Burgas.

The main objective is to protect the birds in the wetlands by removing the overhead wires and placing them underground.

The project "Safe Network of Burgas Lakes" is implemented by EVN Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. 

Today the Mayor of Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov

Dimitar Nikolov is a Bulgarian economist and politician, Mayor of Burgas Municipality since 2007. He was born in his office and held a meeting with representatives of the management of the electricity transmission company - Alexander Sipek, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Kalina Trifonova, Deputy Chairman.

In the conversation, they reviewed the work done so far on the project, which is financed under the LIFE program of the European Union.

During the meeting, a delay was noted in some of the activities related to conciliation procedures and permitting regimes.

Given that their timely issuance is essential to comply with the deadlines laid down in the project plan approved by the European Commission, EVN and the Municipality of Burgas will together seek assistance from the relevant departments and institutions to overcome the problems and successfully complete the project, said the mayor of Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov

Dimitar Nikolov is a Bulgarian economist and politician, Mayor of Burgas Municipality since 2007. He was born

"This is in the interest of the neighborhoods "Black Sea", "Rudnik", "Banevo", "Vetren", "Sarafovo" and other settlements in our municipality, because the implementation of the project will limit the number of accidents causing disturbances in the electricity supply. The ecological part is no less important for us. For years we have been promoting Burgas as a city of birds and one of the most important stops on their migration route. So we would like to see fewer and fewer of them die from an electric shock or a collision with overhead power lines," commented Nikolov.

EVN's project, developed in partnership with the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, received approval from the European Commission in May 2021. 75 percent of the funds are provided by the LIFE program of the European Commission, and 25 percent by EVN.

The planned deadline for the implementation of the activities is until the end of 2026.

Dimitar Nikolov