Bulgarian Minister Assuages Fears of Power Blackouts

For the second time in less than a month, Bulgaria has been forced to stop all export of electric energy. File photo

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov and the Ministry assure that there would be no power outages and planned blackouts in the country over the shortage of electric power.

Traikov made the statement Friday, speaking for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR.

Worries of blackouts and the statement were prompted by the announcement that Bulgaria has halted all export of electric power at 1 am Friday on Traikov's order.

The decision was prompted by the inclement winter weather and severe cold that gripped the country in the last two weeks.

There is a shortage of about 400 MW an hour. Until Thursday, the electricity network in the country worked without any reserves and all available capacities, including the Water Power Plants, WPP, have been activated.

55% of all water resources for February from the total acceptable volume, as set by the Ministry of Environment and Waters, have been used by Friday. There is also a failure at the Thermal Power Plant, TPP, in Galabovo, triggering additional shortage of electric power.

Export of electricity will resume as soon as the needed threshold of reserves is reinstated so that the security and constancy of electric power supply is guaranteed.

Bulgaria recently (January 21) had to stop export of electric power over the strike at the three open-pit mines at Bulgaria's largest State-owned "Maritsa Iztok" mines.

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