site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova: Electricity Exports Drop 58% Since Year's Start

Energy Minister Petkova: Electricity Exports Drop 58% Since Year's Start

Radnevo, Southern Bulgaria, May 20 (BTA) - Electricity exports have decreased by 58 per cent since the beginning of this year, said here on Friday Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova. The reason is the decreased consumption in Greece, Turkey and Italy, to which Bulgaria has exported electricity.

There are many new natural gas power stations that work at full capacity, said Bulgarian Energy Holding Executive Director Petyo Ivanov.

Drilling for natural gas in the Khan Asparuh Bloc, located in the Black Sea near Varna, is expected to show results in the next four to five months, Petkova projected.

The complete liberalization of the electricity market will put an end to the possibility of one company being the sole buyer, the Energy Minister further commented. According to her, the National Electric Company will be freed of these obligations, while the difference between market and preferential prices will be covered by a compensatory mechanism.

Petkova and Ivanov attended the signing of contracts on designing, manufacturing, delivering and putting into operation two rotor excavators (type SRs 2000 and SRs 200) at the Maritsa East Mines. The investment in the new excavators stands at 26 million euro, and is equally shared between the company and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, through the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund.