Varna Electrification Region

After the end of World War I the electricity supply in Varna gradually returned to normal. Varna DPP (diesel power plant) operated from 7.00 till 12.00 at daytime and from sunset till midnight. Due to the small loads, only one machine ran in the morning, and both machines-at nighttime.

In 1922 the number of consumers amounted to 1873 with electric meters and 1730 without electric meters, or a total of 3603 consumers at town population of 43 000. These figures show that a large part of the population in Varna was not yet electrified-a situation typical of other electrified towns in Bulgaria. In 1930 a municipal lighting business enterprise was established in Varna. And in 1937 two small separate power plants were also commissioned-one on the Aqueduct from the Batova river, and the other at “Prince Boris” Factory, with a total capacity of 500 kW.

The electrical load increased quite rapidly, and in the evenings the generators voltage fell from 5000 V to 4500 V for covering the peak load. At the same time, the redemption time of the loan drawn by the enterprise for the first three diesel generators was prolonged-the debt to the bank amounted to 1 414 637 Leva and it was returned as late as 1949.

A fourth diesel generator set was also supplied, but its capacity was quite small-500 kW. The disputes whether a new thermal power plant should be constructed or elec-tricity should be supplied by Adree J.S.C.-Bourgas, went on. A special commission assigned to carry out thorough investigations, presented 3 options of development of Varna electricity supply, as follows:

I.Extension of the existing DPP;

II.Supply of electricity from Adree-Bourgas, through a 95 km 60 kV overhead transmission line;

III.Construction of a local thermal power plant.

Czechoslovashki Colben-Danek

The third option was recommended and approved. Through a tender procedure, at the first stage a 2200 kW unit was procured from Czechoslovashki Colben-Danek, Prague (1944), and after that-a second 5000 kW unit, so the total capacity became 7200 kW (10 000 hp). The Varna DPP became a large regional power plant for its time, in compliance with the decisions of the first general electrification plan of 1941.

The Varna Municipality received a loan from the Electrification Fund covering 30°/o of the resources initially needed for the construction of a new thermal power plant. Against that loan, the Municipality undertook the obligation to electrify six districts including the newly liberated Dobrudja (1940).

The civil works on the regional 20 kV overhead transmission lines to the value of 80 million Leva continued simultaneously with the Varna DPP construction. Their length reached 500 km, and sixty five 20/0.4 kV distribution transformers to the cost of 50 million Leva were connected to them.

Thus, by the end of World War II, the Varna electrification region recovered and almost all towns were electrified, but electric lighting still had to reach the villages.