site.btaEnergy Minister Rules Out Power Supply Rationing

122 ECONOMY-ENERGY-POWER SUPPLY RATIONING RULED OUT

Energy Minister Rules Out
Power Supply
Rationing


Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova was adamant that there will not be power supply rationing. Reacting to media publications that the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party is getting ready for protest rallies against imminent power supply rationing, Petkova said that "such manipulations are dangerous and risky".

The Energy Miniter said that the power system in Bulgaria is stable, the Kozloduy nuclear power plant is operating at full capacity, the supply of natural gas is regular, there are no population centres without heating. Petkova said that one of the six companies providing the so-called cold reserve - a thermal power plant in Dimitrovgrad, Southern Bulgaria, will go into operation "within hours".

Export of electricity will resume "at the first possible opportunity", she said.

Petkova said that checks start on Monday into the stocks of coal available in coal-powered facilities and whether they meet the respective regulations concerning the cold reserve. The checks will also look into the reasoning of some of the thermal power stations not to activate the cold reserve, and if it is found unjustified, sanctions will be imposed. The plants said that they experienced technical problems and complications due to the freezing temperatures. LY/ZH//