On March 1, 2022, in the building of Municipal Administration of Shabla was held an initial press conference on the project “Improvement of the energy efficiency in the territory of Shabla municipality by updating the street lighting system in the town of Shabla” The project is funded by Grant Agreement № BGENERGY-2.001-0028-C01 from 15.09.2021, which is implemented under the Program “Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Security” with the financial support of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2014-2021. The press conference was attended by representatives of both partners – Shabla Municipality and the International Development Norway Association.

Tsvetelin Yordanov, deputy mayor “Economic Development” in Shabla Municipality and project manager, briefly presented the goals and expected results of its implementation, namely: increasing energy efficiency through technological renewal and modernization of outdoor artificial lighting systems in Shabla, which will led to the improvement of living conditions of the population, as well as the achievement of the following results:

• Increasing the energy efficiency of street lighting in the city of Shabla;
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
• Reduction of the energy costs of the municipality;
• Improving the quality of street lighting and increasing the percentage of light;
• Improving road safety for drivers and pedestrians at night.
• Increasing the production of energy from renewable sources;
• Increasing the capacity of the beneficiary in the field of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy management.

Anders Stoølan, CEO of International Development Norway Association, briefly presented the activities of the organization and its role in the project. The association participates in projects that require international cooperation. Through a global network of experts, it facilitates knowledge exchange and project cooperation, focusing on circular economy, green energy, entrepreneurship, education and social inclusion, manufacturing, SMEs, ICT and innovation. With an extensive portfolio of projects, the Association successfully contributes to building a more innovative, sustainable and prosperous future for local economies around the world. This experience is enhanced by continuous presentation in a multicultural environment, proving that there is power in diversity. The main role of the Association “INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NORWAY” is to assist and support the Shabla Municipality with exchange of experience, knowledge and best practices during the implementation of the project.

The project proposal envisages the implementation of energy saving measures prescribed in the energy efficiency survey of part of the street lighting in the town of Shabla, including: replacement of luminaires, introduction of energy management system and use of renewable energy sources, construction of a monitoring system, energy consumption, construction of a system for automation and management of energy consumption, construction of a photovoltaic system, etc.

The implementation period of the project is 18 months – until March 15, 2023.