The municipal government of Sofia has approved a project to install hydropower turbines within its existing water supply system. This initiative was formalized through a Memorandum of Cooperation signed by Mayor Vasil Terziev and Francois Deberg, Regional Director of Veolia’s local water division.
Mayor Terziev emphasized that the project supports Sofia’s vision of becoming a sustainable, energy-efficient, and modern European capital. By integrating turbines into the city’s water infrastructure, Sofia aims to produce clean electricity locally, reduce its carbon emissions, and improve water management.
Francois Deberg noted that the project efficiently utilizes existing infrastructure to generate renewable energy. Once operational, the in-pipe hydropower units are expected to produce approximately 12 GWh of green electricity annually, potentially avoiding around 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year.
This effort builds on earlier cooperation in 2025, when a joint working group was established to explore small-scale hydropower solutions with Veolia’s Sofiyska Voda subsidiary.