Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade
The Dospat–Vacha Hydroelectric Cascade (Bulgarian: Каскада "Доспат–Въча") is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria, on the territory of the Smolyan, Pazardzhik and Plovdiv Provinces. It is owned by the National Electricity Company. The cascade was constructed between 1963 and 2010 by "Hydrostroy".
Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade | |
Teshel Devin Tsankov Kamak Orphey Krichim Vacha 1/2 Locations of the Dospat–Vacha Hydropower Cascade power plants in Bulgaria | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Location | Plovdiv Province, Smolyan Province |
| Purpose | Hydroelectricity Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1963 |
| Owner(s) | National Electricity Company |
Teshel HPP | |
| Location | Teshel |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1972 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 60 MW |
| Annual generation | 100 GWh |
Devin HPP | |
| Location | Devin |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1984 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 88 MW |
| Annual generation | 145 GWh |
Tsankov Kamak HPP | |
| Location | Devin |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 2010 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 86.4 MW |
| Annual generation | 187 GWh |
Orphey HPP | |
| Location | Krichim |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1975 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 164.8 MW |
| Annual generation | 154 GWh |
Krichim HPP | |
| Location | Krichim |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 80 MW |
| Annual generation | 256 GWh |
Vacha 1 and 2 HPP | |
| Location | Krichim |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1933 |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 21 MW |
| Annual generation | 29 GWh |
With catchment area of 2,083 km2 spanning from an altitude of 2,191 m at the summit of Golyam Perelik to 420 m at the Krichim Reservoir, it is among Bulgaria's most complex hydropower systems. The cascade receives water from several river drainages, mostly from the Mesta, the Dospat and the Vacha. It includes five reservoirs and seven hydro power plants — Teshel, Devin, Tsankov Kamak, Orphey, Krichim and Vacha 1 and 2, with a combined installed capacity of 500.2 MW, producing an average of 871 GWh annually.