Energy and environment
Bulgaria is a producer and net exporting country of energy, mostly in countries of the bordering area – Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro – of which last year it covered 80% of the energy demand. 40% of the energy is produced by nuclear power plants (Kozloduy, of which 4 of the 6 reactors have been shut down, and the new power plant of Belene that will become operative) and the remaining is produced from traditional sources (thermo-electrical plants of Maritza Iztok I, II and III), with a very small amount (though forecasted to growth) deriving from renewable energy sources.
Furthermore the government has drawn-up a three-years plan of action to increase energy efficiency; for the same purpose the creation of a bulgarian energy holding company has been decided. This new company, that joins-up the five biggest bulgarian energy companies (AEZ Kazloduy, NEK, Bulgargas, Mini Maritza Iztok and Tez Maritza Iztok 2) is named BEH and it will be funded totally by public capital. It can be easily foreseen that this energy coorporation will become a strategic actor for the energy sector in the balkan region.
In the near future Bulgaria will host important energetic infrastructures: the power plant of Belene, the Burgas-Alexandropolis oilpipe, as well as the South Stream and Nabucco gaspipe.
In the environmental sector, Bulgaria is adopting a modern legislation conforming to the acquis communautaire. A socially acceptable price policy is being set-up from a system of concessions’ management in the field of water safeguard – very similar to the one put in place for the energy sector – with a public institution set to regulate and negotiate the relative concessions with respect to private entities.
Also in the environmental field it is necessary to mention the basic project for the evaluation for the environmental risks (status of secondary rivers from the low Danube, REHRA), financed by IMET and put into place under the leadership of the World Health Organisation. The project has been realized by the experts of the ICARO association of Cortona, Italy, in partnership with the colleagues of the regional department of water protection as well as four regional inspectorates for the environment and waters together with the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters.