Bulgaria has good natural conditions for wind power generation, especially in Northeastern Bulgaria.
However, the development of the sector in our country remains limited.
According to ENTSO E data, cited by Energy Charts, at the end of 2025, Bulgaria will have about 0.72 GW of installed wind power.
For comparison, IRENA data shows that Romania has over 3 GW of wind power, i.e. more than four times the level in Bulgaria.
Greece also continues to develop the sector. According to WindEurope forecasts, the country is moving towards significantly higher total wind capacity in the coming years, while the expected development in Bulgaria remains significantly more limited.
Europe continues to invest
The development of wind energy in Europe does not stop.
In the first half of 2026, another 8.8 GW of new wind capacity were built in Europe, of which 7.1 GW in the European Union.
The total installed wind capacity in Europe now exceeds 311 GW.
This shows that in many countries wind is already part of the long-term strategy for electricity production, reducing dependence on imported fuels and diversifying the energy mix.
Why is Bulgaria developing more slowly?
The reasons are complex.
Among them are the lengthy permit procedures, the need to develop the electricity transmission network, the requirements for nature protection and the difficulties in preparing and implementing new projects.
These limitations are important and cannot be ignored.
But the question is whether, with the available natural potential, Bulgaria is using the resource it has well enough.
Summer 2026 and the low waters of the Danube
In the summer of 2026, the prolonged drought in Central and Eastern Europe led to extremely low water levels on the Danube.
At the end of August, the river's flow rate at the Romanian border was around 1,600 cubic meters per second, with a multi-year average for August of approximately 3,900 cubic meters per second.
The consequences affected not only shipping.
The low level of the river also began to affect electricity production.
Kozloduy NPP reduces power
On August 21, 2026, the power of Unit 5 of the Kozloduy NPP was preventively reduced by about 120 MW due to the ongoing critical decrease in the level of the Danube.
According to the plant itself, this is the first case in the 52-year history of the Kozloduy NPP in which such a measure has been required due to extreme meteorological and hydrological conditions.
It is important to clarify that water from the Danube is not used directly to cool the nuclear reactors. It is used to cool the steam in the condensers in the conventional part of the plant.
On September 14, the power of unit 5 was reduced again, this time by about 60 MW.
This shows how strongly even large and stable energy capacities can be dependent on specific natural conditions.
Hungary was affected even more seriously
In Hungary, the low level of the Danube led to much more serious restrictions.
The Paks NPP, which provides nearly half of the country's electricity production, was forced to reduce its production to about 10 percent of normal capacity during the most critical period.
Earlier, power was limited to about 25 percent, and the risk of a complete shutdown was real.
Romania was also affected by the extremely low water levels. According to Reuters, one of Romania's nuclear reactors was shut down amid the Danube crisis.
What does this mean for energy security?
These events do not mean that nuclear or hydropower are unreliable.
They indicate something else.
No energy source is completely independent of natural conditions, infrastructure or resource supplies.
Therefore, energy security is based not only on the amount of electricity produced, but also on the diversity of sources.
When a system has different technologies, the risk is spread.
Wind as part of this mix
Wind also depends on natural conditions.
Turbines produce electricity only when there is enough wind.
But unlike hydro-dependent technologies, wind generation does not depend on the level of rivers and dams.
It also does not require a constant supply of fuel.
This does not mean that wind energy should replace other sources.
The important question is how it can be included wisely in a more diverse and sustainable energy mix.
Bulgaria has potential
Bulgaria has areas with good wind conditions.
Northeast Bulgaria and Dobrudzha in particular have natural potential for the development of wind energy.
The question is how this potential can be used wisely, with modern technologies, good planning, development of the electricity grid and the necessary protection of nature.
It is precisely this balance between energy, nature, economy and security that is part of the upcoming documentary by Neddy John Cross:
„WIND - MORE THAN ENERGY“