Deputy Prime Minister for Regional Development and Public Works Stefan Asparuhov said EUR 189 million has been secured from Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan for energy renovation of public buildings, alongside EUR 120 million for buildings in the sectors of manufacturing, trade and services and EUR 613 million for residential structures.

Speaking at a conference on energy-efficient and climate-neutral buildings, he revealed EUR 1.1 billion in total is earmarked for investments in the makeover of public and residential buildings including EUR 182 million from the Regional Development Program 2021-2027.

From structural reinforcement to electric vehicle chargers

Earlier this month, the European Commission approved Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, consisting of EUR 6.3 billion in grants and EUR 4.1 billion in cheap loans. It is part of its Recovery and Resilience Facility, which makes up most of the NextGenerationEU spending program for a rebound from the COVID-19 crisis.

The European Union intends to invest more than EUR 800 billion through 2026 on top of the regular seven-year budget. The entire EUR 924 million portion envisaged for energy efficiency in buildings in Bulgaria through its national plan is in grants.

The Regional Development Program is also from a mechanism set up by the EU. The funds are for residential and public buildings in the fifty largest urban municipalities, Asparuhov explained. He said the program is intended for investments in structural reinforcement, heating and air conditioning systems, renewable energy, energy storage and electric vehicle charging equipment, digitalization of buildings and other purposes.

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