Green Energy Producers Urge Bulgaria to Seek Exports Opportunities

The Bulgarian Photovoltaic Association (BPVA) has insisted that the country must seek options to export renewable energy abroad.

BPVA member Vladimir Alichkov, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), made clear Monday that EC regulations stipulated that renewable energy exports were to be regulated through international treaties signed by the government.

Alichkov cited Poland and the UK as potential buyers of green energy, adding that the pace of renewable energy development in the two countries was very slow and they were unlikely to manage to reach the EU's 20% renewable energy target by 2020.

Commenting on the Energy Act amendments which passed second reading in Parliament on Friday, Alichkov expressed the satisfaction of renewable energy producers with the fact that the legal changes had included the recommendations of the European Commission for achieving stability in the renewable energy sector.

Citing EC data, he drew attention to the fact that preferential tariffs for purchasing renewable energy, especially energy generated by photovoltaic plants, were among the lowest in the EU, which made green energy produced in Bulgaria export competitive.

Alichkov informed that with BGN 490 ( EUR 250) as an average price of the energy produced by photovoltaic systems per MWh and around EUR 350 in investment costs for an installed power capacity of one MW, the preferential prices in Bulgaria are lower than the investments.

He explained that the capacity-weighted average price of photovoltaic systems was around BGN 490/MWh, or EUR 250, while investment costs amounted to around EUR 350/MWh of installed capacity, meaning that preferential tariffs were lower than investments.

Citing EC data, Alichkov emphasized that all other EU Member States had higher prices of energy generated by photovoltaic plants.

He noted that the BPVA expected to see rules for energy trade on the free market approved by the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR),

Alichkov also expressed hopes that the renewable energy sector would continue to develop as Bulgaria had not yet reached the target of a 20% share of total energy consumption from renewable sources.

BPVA member Meglena Rusinova informed that there were a total of 1640 registered companies operating in Bulgaria's renewable energy sector.

"With the existing capacities, Bulgarian photovoltaic plants generate around 3% of the total share of renewable energy, and together with the other participants in the renewable energy sector, the total share of green energy comes in at around 16% on an annual basis. This clearly contradicts claims that Bulgaria has exceeded its quota," Rusinova stated.

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