| Tsankov Kamak Hydroelectric Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 Tsankov Kamak Dam | |
  Location of Tsankov Kamak Hydro Power Plant in Bulgaria | |
| Location | Tsankov Kamak downstream of Devin |
| Coordinates | 41°49′56″N 24°25′18″E / 41.83222°N 24.42167°E |
| Construction began | 2004 |
| Opening date | 2011 |
| Construction cost | Euro 500 Million |
| Owner(s) | NEK EAD |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Double curvature arch concrete dam |
| Impounds | Vacha River |
| Height | 130.5 m (428 ft) |
| Length | 486 m (1,594 ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 1,450 m3/s (51,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Tsankov Kamak reservoir |
| Total capacity | 111,000,000 m3 (90,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 1,214 km2 (469 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 3.27 km2 (810 acres) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | NEK EAD |
| Commission date | 2011 |
| Hydraulic head | 150 m (490 ft) (Gross head) |
| Turbines | 2 x 40 MW |
| Installed capacity | 80 MW |
| Annual generation | 185 GWh |
The Tsankov Kamak Hydroelectric Power Plant, also Tsankov Kamak HPP,[1] comprises an arch dam and hydroelectric power plant (HPP) on the territory of the village of Mihalkovo, southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated on the Vacha River in Smolyan Province, on the borders of Pazardzhik Province and Plovdiv Province, roughly 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest of Plovdiv and downstream (north) of the town of Devin. It is a part of the Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade (500.2 MW) development of the Vacha River involving five dams and seven power stations in the provinces of Smolyan, Plovdiv and Pazardzhik, 250 kilometres (160 mi) southeast of the capital Sofia. The other four dams are Dospat, Teshel, Vacha and Krichim.
The Tsankov Kamak dam is the first double curvature arch dam[2] in cupola shape in Bulgaria.[3] It has a maximum dam height of 130.5 metres (428 ft). It is the second in the cascade series from the upstream end, and the last to be developed. Apart from power generation, the other objectives of the five projects are use of water resources for irrigation, drinking and household water supply. While the cascade development started in 1958, construction of the Kamak power plant started on 29 April 2004 and was completed in 2011.[4][5][6] Initial estimated cost of the project was Euro 220 million financed by many banks and equipment manufacturers, including VA TECH Finance, Bank Austria Creditanstalt, BNP Paribas Fortis, Raiffeisen Zentralbank, Société Générale, and Credit Suisse First Boston.[4] However, the final cost of the project has far outstripped the original estimates due to topography, geology and also possible corruption, which were not assessed at the investigation stage of the project.[4]
The carbon emission reduction due to building the Tsankov Kamak HPP is assessed at about 200,000 t CO2 (228,000 tons of СО2 including the four rehabilitation projects of the cascade). This credit is transferred to the Austrian carbon-credit program under the Joint Implementation Project mechanism which was agreed for the project within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol to partially meet the project costs. For the reduced emissions, Austria compensates Bulgaria at the rate US$10 per ton of carbon emissions.[4][7][8] The Joint Implementation Project has two components, one is the Implementation of the Tsankov Kamak HPP and the other is the rehabilitation of the electro-mechanical components of the other four projects in the cascade development.[6] Two more HPPs, the Vacha I and the Vacha II, with total installed capacity of 20.6 MW, are located in the lower part of the cascade.[6]
- ^ Energy and Good Governance in Bulgaria: Trends and Policy Options. CSD. 2011. p. 61. ISBN 978-954-477-167-6. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Apostolovwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Hydroelectric Power Plants in Bulgaria". Induscards.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Hydro power project Tsankov Kamak". Minstroy. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ R. Kohler & G. Zenz. "Analysis and Monitoring of Tsankov Kamak Arch Dam" (PDF). lamp3.tu-graz.ac.at. pp. 205–210. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ a b c "Joint Implementation and Clean Mechanism Project, Project Design Documents" (PDF). dnv.com. July 2003. p. 8,9,17,22,29,30–34. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ "Hydropower project as part of the Vacha Cascade" (PDF). alpine.at. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
- ^ "Reservoir Storage Scheme, Tsankov Kamak, Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania (NEK), Bulgaria" (PDF). Pöyry Energy GmbH. Retrieved 21 September 2012.