Parliament Passes Bulgaria's Energy Strategy for Period Ending 2020
The National Assembly Wednesday adopted Bulgaria's Energy Strategy for the period ending 2020. The Strategy sets five priorities: guaranteeing the security of supplies; attainment of the 16 per cent target for energy from renewable energy sources; improvement of energy efficiency; development of a competitive energy market; policy intended to ensure energy needs and to protect consumer interests.
Until 2020, energy policy will seek improvement of energy security and will focus on active participation in the projects for development of the Southern Gas Corridor, building gas interconnectors with the countries neighbouring on Bulgaria, expanding the natural gas storage capacity, building a new gas storage facility, creating conditions for supply of liquefied and compressed natural gas, as well as optimum utilization of local energy resources.
"We will stand up by our positions before the EU institutions on keeping and increasing the share of nuclear energy in this country through extension of the service life of Units 5 and 6 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, as well as construction of 2,000 MW new nuclear capacities (Belene N-Plant and/or Units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy N-Plant)," the document reads.
The energy intensity of GDP is to be reduced by 50 per cent by 2020 through measures encouraging energy saving. An electricity exchange will be set up until the end of 2011 so that the energy market could become independent and strong. Improvement of energy security will target a decrease of the dependence on imported energy resources, diversification of suppliers and of sources, and diversification of routes. Parliament proposes that the document expressly state that Bulgaria will be actively involved in the development of the new nuclear safety measures on an international scale. (Source: BTA)