See the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy and Energy Resource for further information, copy of the complete Energy Strategy and updates to the following report
Concept Paper on the National Energy Strategy (2002) (PDF 96 KB)
In the energy sector, Bulgaria is confronted with a series of major challenges stemming from both objective causes and circumstances and the delay in carrying out the reforms during the years of transition.
Bulgaria is heavily dependent on energy as it imports more than 70% of its primary energy sources. The only significant domestic energy source is low-quality lignite coal with high content of sulphur. Bulgaria is mainly reliant on energy sources from Russia: oil, natural gas, high-quality coal and nuclear fuel. This structure of the energy balance causes concern in terms of the security of energy supply. The European Union whose dependence on imports is less (about 40%, but with a trend towards increasing this share up to 70% in 20 years' time) is making strenuous efforts in two key areas:
Along with that, a significant potential for improving the security of supply lies in the growing mutual dependence in the context of using Bulgaria's key geographic location for the increasing transit of Russian and Asian resources (natural gas, oil and electricity) to the west and south, as well as of the opportunities for diversification of energy sources and suppliers.
Despite its scarce domestic energy potential, Bulgaria's economy differs from other economies (both developed and Central and Eastern European economies in transition) in what can be called energy extravagance. That is why the key strategic objective of the economy and, more specifically, of the energy sector should be rational use of energy sources. This objective is evident and has always been declared as a priority, even back in the times of planned economy. However, the absence of market mechanisms has not made it possible so far to achieve marked results, although significant scientific and technical potential has been mobilized for the attainment of this objective. Energy consumption and energy balance can only be streamlined under competitive economy and energy market. Endorsing this vision, the Government in its Program for Governance has declared the establishment of a competitive energy market as a top priority for the energy sector.
However, the establishment of an up-to-date and market-oriented energy sector calls for a series of prerequisites that have been missing up to this date, namely:
Integrated actions need to be undertaken in the above areas in order to compensate for the backlog, or, to put it briefly, the reform in the energy sector is yet to be implemented.
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