Angelin Tsachev: After the unification with Romania, our country will be able to trade electricity with the whole of Europe if there is enough capacity

By the end of October, the market union with Romania is expected to be a fact and our country will be able to trade electricity with the whole of Europe if there is enough border capacity. This was stated in an interview with BNR by the executive director of the Electricity System Operator Angelin Tsachev.

Market reunification with Romania was due at the end of last year, but was delayed due to the delay in the interim project, which was to unite the borders of Hungary, Austria and Poland. There can be no more delay in our unification with our northern neighbor, Tsachev said.

"The tests of the project will start on September 20 and the market union is expected to start between October 26 and October 29." After that, our country will be able to trade electricity with the whole of Europe, provided that there is sufficient capacity at the borders.

"If there is enough capacity at all the borders that energy has to cross, we can trade with Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, etc.," he said.

The Executive Director of ESO rejected the thesis that the market union with Greece, which became a fact before with Romania, is one of the reasons why the electricity on our stock exchange has recently been the most expensive in Europe.

Earlier, the executive director of ESO clarified that the schedule for the repair of two of the units in TPP "Maritsa East 2" was agreed last year. As is known, the plant was accused of not putting into operation all the facilities. I am waiting before the repair of the fifth unit at Kozloduy NPP, ie "before September 25, all units (of TPP Maritza East 2) are available," he said. Tsachev clarified that the repair of the other of the units of AES Galabovo "TPP Maritsa East 1" and completion of repairs in TPP "Contour Global TPP Maritsa East 3" is forthcoming. According to him, everything is on schedule.

Angelin Tsachev added that at the moment there is enough water in the hydropower plants to cover the peak consumption, but "compared to last year the quantities are much smaller."

With regard to exports, he said that "exports are huge". "Currently we export between 25-30 thousand MWh per day." Rather, prices are influenced by the shortage of electricity in the entire region of Southeast Europe and the exports that our country makes.

"Exports are huge. We currently export between 25 and 30 thousand megawatt hours per day, approximately the energy produced by one unit of Kozloduy NPP leaves the country within one day, "said Angelin Tsachev.

The Executive Director of ESO clarified that at the moment there is definitely a deficit in the entire south-eastern region of Europe "starting with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy. "There is a lack of electricity in this whole region and it is quite normal for the export from the country, which, as I said, is between 25-30 thousand MWh per day to affect the price of electricity," he said. According to him, this is approximately the output of electricity, more or less equal to the production of one unit of Kozloduy NPP.