site.btaMinister Malinov Discusses Bilteral Energy Cooperation with Ambassadors of France, UK

Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov and France's Ambassador to this country Joel Meyer have discussed opportunities for joint actions toward decarbonization of the European economy, Malinov’s Ministry said on Monday. The main topic of discussion was bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy as an emission-free resource, which is key to achieving the European Union's zero-carbon targets. "The Bulgarian side relies on French experts’ experience for the supply of fresh nuclear fuel from Framatome to Unit 6 of Kozloduy N-plant," the Minister said, adding that timely implementation of supplies in full is crucial to the process of supply diversification. Nuclear energy is central to the bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and France and is of strategic importance for European energy security, the Energy Ministry’s press release said.

"The greening of the global economy is an irreversible process, and Bulgaria will rely on the experience of the UK for its implementation," Malinov said during a meeting with UK Ambassador to Bulgaria Rob Dixon, the Energy Ministry's press centre said. The sides discussed the development of wind energy, which is a major renewable source in the UK. "Bulgaria has a developed and regionally connected power grid. The widespread application of smart grids will increase the efficiency of the system in Bulgaria," Malinov added.

During the meetings, companies from France and the UK expressed their desire to utilize Bulgaria's well-developed gas transmission network for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. According to Malinov, the share of LNG in the energy mix will continue to grow in the coming years. "The implementation of the Vertical Corridor initiative of the gas transmission operators of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldova will provide the capacity to transport the necessary LNG quantities from reliable sources for the South-Eastern Europe region," the Minister said.