site.btaCommitment about Coal-Fired Power Plants Should Be Put Off and Revised - PM Donev

Sofia will insist that the commitment assumed by the previous Bulgarian government concerning coal-fired power plants should be postponed and revised, caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev told a briefing in Kalofer, Central Bulgaria on Thursday. He argued that the way the relevant parameters are set in the Recovery and Resilience Plan is not good for Bulgaria.

Donev noted that the government which ran the country until August 2, 2022 committed to a 40% cut on carbon emissions, which, he said, means closing coal-fired power plants, although the Recovery and Resilience Plan does not say that explicitly. "If they are closed, the Bulgarian economy will incur a huge detriment," the Prime Minister warned.

Not only the economy will suffer, but also the security of the energy systems of Bulgaria and the region will be affected, according to him. "The Bulgarian energy system is unique in that it maintains a balance among the capacities in the neighbouring countries," he said.

"We keep in touch with various services of the European Commission about what the previous government set out in the Plan and what we can renegotiate using various instruments if the Commission accepts that," the Prime Minister said.

The way it was signed, the Plan requires Bulgaria to cut its carbon emissions by 10% this year. "We find it unacceptable," Donev said. "We will insist that this commitment, assumed by the previous government, should be put off and revised. Another reference year should be adopted for the purpose of comparing carbon emissions. Our caretaker government has its share of responsibility for the Bulgarian economy."

Donev said his government will propose a national electric power strategy for the next few years.

"New nuclear power capacities are planned, because we see that electricity consumption is not decreasing. Bulgaria and its neighbours need a lot more power capacities. The strategy which we will propose will name all possible sources, including green energy, renewable sources and nuclear energy," the Prime Minister said.