Batak Hydropower Cascade

Batak Hydropower Cascade
Batak
Peshtera
Aleko
Locations of the Batak Hydropower Cascade power plants in Bulgaria
CountryBulgaria
LocationPazardzhik Province
PurposeHydroelectricity
Irrigation
StatusOperational
Construction began1946
Owner(s)National Electricity Company
Batak HPP
LocationBatak
StatusOperational
Opening date1958
Power Station
Installed capacity46.8 MW
Annual generation112 GWh
Peshtera HPP
LocationPeshtera
StatusOperational
Opening date1959
Power Station
Installed capacity136 MW
Annual generation300 GWh
Aleko HPP
LocationAleko Konstantinovo
StatusOperational
Opening date1959
Power Station
Installed capacity71.4 MW
Annual generation147 GWh

The Batak Hydroelectric Cascade (Bulgarian: Баташки водносилов път, translit. Batashki Vodnosilov Pat) is situated in the Pazardzhik Province, southern Bulgaria and is among the first hydroelectric cascades in the country. Inaugurated on 6 September 1959, it includes seven reservoirs and three underground hydro power plants Batak, Peshtera and Aleko with a combined installed capacity of 254.2 MW, producing an average of 796 GWh annually.

Located in the Rhodope Mountains, the complex receives waters from the drainage basins of the Chepinska reka, Stara reka and Vacha, right tributaries of the Maritsa, as well as the Dospat, a left tributary of the Mesta. Its catchment area is 761 km2 spanning from an altitude of 2,186 m at the summit of Golyama Syutkya to 452 m at the town of Peshtera.