Bulgaria to triple photovoltaic capacity by 2030

In accordance with the Bulgarian Energy Act, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy has drafted the 'Sustainable Energy Development Strategy to 2030'.

This draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy for Bulgaria will now be discussed and debated by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers and the Bulgarian Parliament ahead of its adoption.

Since the current Energy Strategy, adopted in 2011, is set to expire at the end of this year, the draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy will cover the period from 2020 to 2030 and provide an outlook for further developments until 2050.

Different from the 2011 energy strategy and an earlier strategy formulated in 2002, the draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy emphasises the development of renewable energy sources and industrial decarbonisation.

Of the five major aims of the draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy, three are directly related to the development of renewable-energy sources in the country and include:

• aim one – “Guarantees for energy security and sustainable-energy development";
• aim four – "Sustainable-energy development of clean energy and decarbonisation of the economy"; and
• aim five – "Implementation of innovative technologies for sustainable-energy development.”

One of Bulgaria's major aims is by 2030 to reach “27.09% share of renewable energy from the gross-end consumption of energy”. When setting up these national priorities, Bulgaria took into consideration both EU policies on energy and combatting climate change and domestic issues, such as the availability of resources, macro-economic developments and predictions for the production and consumption of energy in both Bulgaria and the region.

The draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy points outs that Bulgaria reached its 2020 goal of a 16% share for renewable energy from gross-end consumption as early as 2012. Renewable energy's share of the sector now stands at 21.52%.

According to the draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy: “The country has under-utilised potential for electricity production from renewable energy sources, which by 2030 and beyond will continue being utilised, which will secure the fulfilment of the national aim of the share of renewable energy from gross-end energy consumption in an economically viable manner. This potential is predominantly from photovoltaic and geothermal energy, biomass, including waste …”

In 2018, the share of renewable energy from gross-end energy consumption increased by 52.3% from 2011. In order to secure its contribution to the overall EU aim of 32% share of renewable energy from gross-end consumption, Bulgaria has set a national goal of reaching 27.09% by 2030, with a 30.33% share from renewable energy sources in electricity generation.

The support of existing producers through Feed-In Tariffs and premiums will continue until the expiry of their contracted deadlines. The construction of new renewable-energy projects will be undertaken according to market conditions. Between 2020 and 2030, the net installed capacity of renewable energy sources is expected to increase by 2,645 MW, from which photovoltaic plants will contribute 2,174 MWp, wind capacities 249 MW and biomass 222 MW.

Guarantees for origin will be traded since the Sustainable Energy Development Agency of Bulgaria is slated to join the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB).

Various operational and national programmes will be used for supporting the production and consumption of renewable energy sources in the country.

The full Bulgarian text of the draft Sustainable Energy Development Strategy can be found here.

For further information on this draft and opportunities in the Bulgarian energy sector, contact local CMS experts Kostadin Sirleshtov and Borislava Piperkova or your regular CMS advisor.