site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova: Security of Supplies, Energy Network Are Government's Priority

Energy Minister Petkova: Security of  Supplies, Energy Network Are  Government's Priority

Saint Petersburg/Sofia, June 19 (BTA) - Energy Minister
Temenouzhka Petkova Friday said that guaranteeing the security
of energy resources' supply, as well as the functioning of the
Bulgarian energy network are a key priority in the Government's
work. Petkova was speaking at the 19th Saint Petersburg
International Economic Forum (SPIEF) during a panel on "Powering
 Opportunity: Integrating European, Russian and Asian Energy
Sectors", the Energy Ministry reported.

Petkova presented the advantages of Bulgaria's electricity and
gas transmission systems. In her words, between 42 and 43 TWh of
 energy are produced in this country a year on average, of which
 around 11 TWh are exported to neighbouring countries. In this
way Bulgaria remains an important factor on the energy market in
 the region, she underscored. "Around 34 per cent of electricity
 in Bulgaria is produced by the Kozloduy NPP. This is why one of
 our main tasks is to extend the service life of the nuclear
plant's Unit 5 and 6," the Energy Minister added.

She noted that Bulgaria is working successfully with its Russian
 partners from Rosatom and there will not be any delay in these
programmes.

Another priority of the Bulgarian Government is the full
liberalization of the electricity market in the country. "Our
ambitious goal is to achieve this at the start of 2016," she
added.

Petkova also presented the Government's project for a gas hub on
 Bulgarian territory with a receiving and sending facility in
the area of Varna (on the Black Sea). "The projects that are
part of the gas hub concept have been included in the 10-year
plan for the development of the European Network of Transmission
 System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG)," she said. The Energy
Minister put an emphasis on the advantages of Bulgaria's gas
transmission network, noting that 80 per cent of the compressor
stations in the region are located on Bulgarian territory. "At
present, Bulgaria's Bulgartransgaz gas transmission operator is
working on an increase of the transit capacity of 4 out of the 6
 stations," Petkova explained. The project's implementation is
of key importance for both the construction of  the intersystem
gas connections and the exploitation of the gas deposits in the
Black Sea, she added.
   
The Energy Ministry is working with priority on the construction
 of the gas interconnector with Greece, and the one with Romania
 is expected to be built by this year's end. The talks with
Turkey on the joint intersystem connection are also at an
advanced stage. The Energy Ministry has speeded up its work on
the gas interconnector with Serbia, and a consultant selection
procedure is currently under way, Petkova said.