199 electric vehicle charging stations are being built in Bulgaria with EU funding

199 charging stations for electric vehicles are being built in Bulgaria with funding under the operational programs for the development of the regions managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, during the current and previous programming period.

123 of them have already been built and are in use. They are located in Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Gotse Delchev, Dupnitsa, Kyustendil, Petrich, Plovdiv, Haskovo, Pazardzhik, Kardzhali, Smolyan, Asenovgrad, Dimitrovgrad, Velingrad, Karlovo, Panagyurishte, Bourgas, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol and Kazanlak. By the end of the programming period, further 76 stations are to be built in settlements in southern Bulgaria. The investment amounts to a total of BGN 6.4 million, and the projects are implemented with low-interest lending with financial instruments.

25 of the stations are in Sofia and were built in the previous programming period with low-interest lending from the JESSICA instrument and grants in the amount of BGN 263,000 under the Operational Programme "Regional Development 2007-2013", the total amount of investment is BGN 2,5 million.

The implementation of the project aims to provide conditions for the promotion of electric vehicles as clean, environmentally friendly and economical transport. Its development will help reduce air pollution, noise levels and levels of fine dust.

The construction of a wide network of electric charging stations will also have a positive impact on the improvement and development of integrated urban transport projects in large cities, which are modernizing their fleet of public vehicles powered by electricity. Conditions are also being created for the mass use of electric cars in the country. They are an important condition for the public to have a greener and less polluted environment, higher standard of living and reduction of conventional cars, ministry of regional development said.