Analysis of Nuclear energy in Bulgaria
Analysis of Nuclear energy in Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: Bulgaria’s Energy Strategy5 aims at dealing with the basic contemporary challenges to Bulgarian energy, in particular it addresses the issue of the high dependency on energy resources importation namely that Bulgaria assures 70% of its net consumption by means of import. There is in practice total dependency with regard to the import of crude petroleum and natural gas as well as of nuclear fuel and traditionally this dependency has been unilaterally oriented to the Russian Federation. The structure of electricity generation in Bulgaria in 2013 is dominated by coal based power plants (overall share of 42, 9 % of domestic energy production), closely followed by nuclearbased generation produced by the Kozloduy Nuclear power plant (hereinafter “NPP”), with overall share of 32, 6 %. Besides, electricity from wind in 2010 has increased 3 times as compared to 2009 data and represents 12.1% of the overall energy generation. The share of hydro power is approximately 1.6 %. As may be seen, the share of nuclear power in electricity generation in Bulgaria amounts approximately to one third. According to Eurostat statistical data energy dependence (country dependency on energy and commodity import) of Bulgaria is slightly lower than the average for EU Member States (average 45, 6 % in 2009, including 98, 6 % for both natural gas and crude petroleum). Lignite coal represents basic local resource for Bulgaria. Nuclear energy is considered to be local resource and to a great extent contributes for the improvement of energy independence.4 Bulgaria’s Energy Strategy5 aims at dealing with the basic contemporary challenges to Bulgarian energy, in particular it addresses the issue of the high dependency on energy resources importation namely that Bulgaria assures 70% of its net consumption by means of import. There is in practice total dependency with regard to the import of crude petroleum and natural gas as well as of nuclear fuel and traditionally this dependency has been unilaterally oriented to the Russian Federation.

• Details
• Contents