Sustainable hydropower for more clean electricity in BulgariaVEC Energy Ltd. operates a small hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 3.4 MW in proximity of the village Katuntsi in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. The region is one of Bulgaria�s richest in both forest and water resources. The aim of the project is to feed 12-14 GWh into the Bulgarian energy grid. This way, 84,131 tons of CO2 will be saved within a period of seven years. The power plant utilizes water of the existing Spanchevo irrigation canal. Additionally, a water reservoir of 3000m_ is available, so that even at times of high irrigation demand energy can be produced consistently and efficiently.The generated power contributes to the expansion of the Bulgarian energy mix, which consists to date mainly of fossil fuel combustion and nuclear power. Due to its location apart from nature reserves and its use of existing infrastructure, the environmental impact by the project is minimal, nearby agricultural lands will not be affected.How does hydropower help fight global warming?Since hydropower is created without burning fossil fuels, it is considered emission-free. The growth of renewable energy production is essential to limiting global warming and securing energy supplies for the future. The amount of emissions saved by a hydropower project is calculated using the baseline method: how much CO2 would be released by generating the same amount of energy using standard energy production methods for the region?