“Ravnets has two development paths. One easy way is to give the free areas outside the runways to an investor who will deploy photovoltaics on the field instead of factories and logistics bases, from which Burgas will lose several thousand jobs and the income will go into the pocket of one investor instead of thousands of families. On the other side is that we all roll up our sleeves and choose the difficult, but also global option for the region’s economy: Ravnec to develop as a large industrial park with a free economic zone, where many logistics and production bases with the potential for 8,000 jobs instead of replacing them with PV.”
This was stated by Konstantin Bachiyski on the occasion of the third attempt in a row by the Municipality of Burgas and the municipal councilors from the majority to destroy the project in Ravnets and the huge opportunities that the region can provide for the people.
“Now you want to deploy solar panels and new green hydrogen installations on an area of 831 decares, and you are waving a forecast that this will lead to the opening of 200 jobs”, he addressed the municipal councilors.
Bachiyski recalled that for the last five years, since the Municipality managed the former military air base, it made three attempts to irretrievably destroy the project, without taking into account the thousands of benefits it would bring to citizens, such as large-scale investments and jobs.
“In 2019, they wanted to set the tracks for landscaping and sports. They claimed it was the best. In two days, with more than 3,000 citizens of Burgas, we managed to stop this absurd decision through a signature. In 2022, they were going to give it to a Danish company, to put solar panels and green hydrogen plants around the runways themselves, and all this „packaged“ in the creation of 40 jobs… Then there were people in this room who said that this deal is the best for Burgas. They claimed it was the deal of the century. Nothing that the airport and the manufacturing area around it would be destroyed by solar panels and installations around the runways.
Now they want to deploy more solar panels and new installations for green hydrogen on an area of 831 decares. They promise a minimum of 200 new jobs, destroying a project for 8,000 jobs and thousands of potential opportunities.”
Bachiyski is the author of the project for the development of the full potential of the former air base as a large industrial park with a free economic zone with its own airport and terminals for handling cargo. And over the years, he has presented this opportunity at the largest economic forums in the world.
He asked his former colleagues from the Municipal Council-Burgas if they were aware of how many jobs they would destroy and what benefits to citizens the solar panels would generate, other than jobs as window washers? In his words, you don’t need to be a visionary to see that the airstrips and the production grounds around them represent a valuable asset only when they are a whole, and allowing photovoltaics will hinder investment in production and the city’s economy.
According to him, a major investor would not choose an airport without runways or an industrial zone with an airport without adjacent land for industrial production. And once again he reminded that the location of the production and logistics halls is near the runways.
„I am surprised at the lack of foresight of any of the people who are elected to protect the interests and development of Burgas. Solar panels and installations for the production of green hydrogen can be located anywhere, an airport with two runways is only in Ravnets. In the last year and a half, I personally have been trying to ensure that the necessary transport connections to it are provided, so that it will be attractive for large investments that will add value to the Burgas economy. I prepared the documentation for its licensing as an international airport with personal funds. And the Municipality did not want to allocate even BGN 160,000 for one fence. If they had done that, we would probably be talking about Ravnets International Airport today“
He proposed to the municipal administration to give the new investor the opportunity to place his solar panels on the 2000 decares of municipal land near the „Despred“ storage base or on the old military training ground near Banevo. There is also sun and water there, and anyway these terrains are deserted.
He added that the project for an industrial zone with its own airport has huge potential for the economy of the entire South-Eastern Bulgaria, for large investments and thousands of new jobs, and for this reason he will continue to fight for its preservation and realization.
