„The shameful scenes in Parliament remind us how weak the roots of democracy are in our country and how false the unity displayed yesterday regarding the declaration on North Macedonia was. However, the big problem for me is that these climate policies have never been seriously discussed and debated, with alternatives, real steps, and risk management – positions that need to be upheld in Brussels, etc.“
This is what analyst Iliyan Vassilev wrote in his commentary.
They have been reduced to bait for businesses and managers to absorb funds from above, from Brussels. Climate policies have many aspects, not all of which are indisputable in terms of direction and impact, he further noted. He added:
„Neither the money from Europe is coming, nor are we taking measures to make the transition meaningful and smooth by managing the exit from our coal capacities while keeping some as a strategic reserve during these times of high geopolitical risks – they are, after all, the only local sustainable resource.
Currently, the situation in the electricity market in Eastern Europe – especially in Southeast Europe – critical, not only due to low capacity and connectivity but also because of Ukraine’s needs, which has to import electricity to survive – over 9 gigawatts of capacity have been destroyed by Russian attacks, what I call an energy morass. Renewables cannot guarantee continuous energy, so the demand for electricity from nuclear and coal-fired plants is rising. Yet we allowed the closure of the Maritsa East 3 coal power plant, and orders for coal extraction from Mini Maritsa sharply declined. Now we are stuck. The moment coal plants start making any profit, it’s immediately taken away, killing the sector’s ability to remain competitive and contribute to a smooth transition. At the same time, without European funds, you cannot balance renewables through storage or build additional connectivity and transmission capacities.
The transition could have been meaningful and smooth – allowing coal plants to remain competitive for as long as necessary to balance the system. This would involve not seizing their profits in those rare moments when they occur, and letting the market dictate the pace and radicality of the transition.
Our energy sector is racing toward a wall, which will cost us much more than all the EU funds we’re hoping for. We have neither the old capacities preserved nor the new ones established. We lack gas capacities like those in Turkey and Greece, and we don’t have our own oil and gas production. We are building solar capacities that far exceed our ability to integrate and balance them within our energy system. They are already starting to complain that they are building to fulfill the mandates of climate policies, but their revenues are falling short, especially those without long-term contracts. Amidst this immeasurable shortfall, we’re going to build a new nuclear plant for tens of billions. This situation calls for a diagnosis – each lobby is pulling in its own direction – coal, nuclear, renewables, and there is nothing left of Bulgaria.
In fact, the blockage of Parliament by the new absurdities in Bulgarian politics last night directly reflects the deficiencies in the Bulgarian electoral process, where we are governed not by the most deserving, but by the loudest. Just think of the chairman of the Culture Committee ?! Blocking the rostrum and MPs tearing microphones, cables?!?!“
First in Iskra.bg: Important reshuffles in the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture!
