A company from Vidin wants to install a pontoon hydroelectric power plant on the Danube

The Vidin-based company Typhoon intends to build a pontoon hydroelectric power plant on the Danube River near Vidin. This is the first improved project in Bulgaria with a planned capacity of 20 kWh and will operate 24 hours a day, all year round. The hydroelectric power plant is planned to be located near the Telegraph Gate of the city fortress "Kaleto" (Baba Vida). This is clear from the company's investment intention submitted a month ago to the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water in Montana.

New energy source

The company's ambition is to develop a new source of clean energy that has not been used to date. The project is considered highly innovative as it will use kinetic and gravitational energy to generate clean energy.

The prototype aims to demonstrate the viability of hydrokinetic technology as a reliable renewable source on the Danube River, which will have significant benefits due to the low cost of the energy it will produce and minimal adverse environmental impacts.

The local company has also submitted a request to build several more such pontoon hydroelectric power plants in the Bulgarian section of the Danube. However, the documents specify that they will not affect the Danube water area of Bulgaria.

Project details

According to the company, its proposal will contribute to achieving Bulgaria's sustainable energy prices and reducing carbon emissions.

The installation includes a state-of-the-art turbine (generator) mounted above the water surface, 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide.

It has been developed and patented and optimizes the specific conditions of the Danube River near Vidin.

During the first month after commissioning, the efficiency, volume, and performance of the technology will be analyzed.

What is a pontoon hydroelectric power plant?

A pontoon hydroelectric power plant is an innovative system for generating electricity that uses the kinetic energy of flowing water – for example, from large rivers such as the Danube—without the need to build a dam, weirs, or other heavy hydraulic structures.

The plant is built on a floating platform (pontoon) that is anchored securely in a specific location and on which a generator and turbine are mounted.

Its advantages are rapid deployment and mobility: the system can be installed and dismantled in a short time without lengthy land expropriation procedures and with minimal environmental impact. Such installations are suitable for remote or poorly electrified areas, including industrial sites, farms, tourist resorts, and border crossings.

Translated with DeepL.