Bulgaria is targeting a further 2,645 MW of installed electricity generation capacity from renewable sources, mostly photovoltaic plants, by the end of 2030, in line with the EU's goals for green energy transition, a draft national strategy published on the parliament’s website shows.
This additional capacity includes 2,174 MW of solar plants, 249 MW of wind parks and 222 MW of biomass powered plants, according to a draft strategy for sustainable energy development until 2030 drafted by the energy ministry and published on the parliament’s website earlier this month.
According to the plan, by 2030 the share of energy from renewable sources in Bulgaria's gross final consumption should reach 27.1% in line with the EU's target of 32%.
In ten years time, the share of renewable energy sources in the country is expected to reach 30.3% in power generation, 42.6% in the heating and cooling sector and 14.2% in transport.
Bulgaria, however, has no intentions to shut down its coal-fired power plants due to the importance of locally-sourced coal for the country's energy sector, the strategy reads.
The total installed capacity of Bulgaria's coal-fired thermal power plants TPP Maritsa East 2, Countour Global Maritsa East 3 TPP, AES-3C Maritsa East 1 TPP and TPP Bobov Dol is 3,848 MW, as the 1,610 MW Maritsa East 2 is the biggest of the four. These plants produced 39% of Bulgaria's gross electricity consumption in 2019, compared to 37% for the country's sole nuclear power plant (NPP) Kozloduy.
Bulgaria will also work towards maintaining the operations of NPP Kozloduy's two operational units, the 1,000-megawatt Unit 5 and Unit 6, after the expiration of their licenses - in 2027 and 2029, respectively, according to the document.
Bulgaria's nuclear regulator issued ten-year extensions of the operational liceses of the plant's Unit 5 and Unit 6 in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
Bulgaria will further develop its nuclear power sector through the implementation of a project for the construction of two new nuclear power units, each with a capacity of 1,000 MW, to become operational after 2030, the strategy says, referring to a project for the construction of Belene NPP.
In June 2018, Bulgaria's parliament mandated Petkova to seek potential strategic investors willing to build a nuclear power plant in Belene, on the Danube river. Earlier this year, Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with France's Framatome and US-based General Electric Steam Power to submit a joint bid for taking part in the tender for construction of Belene NPP. Besides Rosatom, Framatome and General Electric, shortlisted candidates for the project also include China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Corporation (KHNP).
(SeeNews, September 17, 2020)
