Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Japan's Toshiba to help restore Chaira power station

Photo: me.government.bg

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation will assist Bulgaria in bringing the Chaira power plant back into operation as soon as possible. The news was announced after the visit of the Bulgarian Minister of Energy, Vladimir Malinov, to Tokyo.


The Chaira pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Rila, below the Belmeken dam, is the largest underground power station in south-east Europe, with four reversible pump turbines. However, it has been out of operation since 2022 due to its out-of-service turbines. 


Toshiba is the manufacturer and supplier of the plant's equipment and the owner of the technical and manufacturing documentation for the project. This made it imperative to award the repair work to this manufacturer, the Energy Ministry said. 


During Malinov's visit, it also became clear that Hitachi is interested in participating in the development of Bulgaria's power grid and is ready to share its experience in building transformers and small modular reactors.


The year 2024 marks 115 years since the first official contacts between Bulgaria and Japan and 85 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Rumen Radev

Bulgaria and Vietnam should capitalise on their strategic geographic positions, says president Radev

Bulgaria and Vietnam should make the most of their strategic geographic positions – Vietnam in Southeast Asia and Bulgaria in Southeast Europe – acting as a gateway for goods and services from Asia to Europe , President Rumen Radev said on Thursday. He..

published on 10/23/25 4:03 PM

INSAIT model gives robots unprecedented 3D spatial intelligence

The Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) at Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ has released SPEAR-1, an open-source AI model that gives industrial robots 3D spatial intelligence . The technology is..

published on 10/23/25 3:57 PM

Vietnam Communist Party leader To Lam on official visit to Bulgaria

To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is on an official visit to Bulgaria. He was welcomed at a ceremony in St. Alexander Nevsky Square by President Rumen Radev and his wife, Desislava Radeva, as reported by the Bulgarian..

published on 10/23/25 2:25 PM