The share of RES in the transmission network of Bulgaria grows 11.75 per cent during 1 Jan to 11 Oct on annual basis

Electricity production as well as consumption continue to hold negative levels. Moreover, the data is deteriorating. The balance (export - import) of electricity is also in the red, and the negative trend continues. The data on the participation of the base plants are also worse. The share of renewable energy sources (RES) remains with positive growth. The participation of hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) is without much change. This is clear from the operational data of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) for the energy balance of the country for the period January 1 to October 11, 2020, compared to the same period of 2019.

Electricity production from the beginning of this year to the first eleven days of October continues to shrink and now reaches minus 8.40 per cent (minus 8.19% a week ago). For comparison, if during the indicated period of 2019 the production of electricity was in the volume of 34 066 104 MWh, then for comparison this year it is 31 202 852 MWh.

Electricity consumption for the compared period from the first day of January to the eleventh day of October this year also decreased and amounted to 28,276,422 MWh. This is a decrease (minus) by 3.92 per cent (minus 3.90% a week ago). During the same period of the previous 2019, the reported consumption amounted to 29,430,897 MWh.

The negative balance (export-import) has not been a surprise for a long time. According to the data of the system operator, for the compared period of the previous 2019 the balance (export-import) was 4 635 207 MWh. For the same period of the current 2020 the data show a negative balance of 2,926,430 MWh or minus 36.87% (minus 35.31% a week ago, minus 34.37 per cent two weeks ago).

The participation of the base plants keeps continuously high negative levels and there are no prospects to overcome them in the near future. If during the compared period from 1 to 11 October 2019 the base plants participated with a volume of 28,839,171 MWh, then for the same period of the current 2020 this participation shrinks to 25,819,943 MWh. This is a decrease (minus) by 10.47 per cent (minus 10.32% a week ago, minus 10.18% nine weeks ago).

Unlike base plants, the positive trend in renewable energy sources is maintained in the current reporting period.

The share of RES in the transmission network for the period from the beginning of the current 2020 to October 11 increased by 11.75 per cent (12.92% a week ago) and reached a volume of 1,064,761 MWh. A year earlier, the share of renewable energy sources in the transmission network was in the range of 952,817 MWh. This increase is due in particular to the positive data on the participation of wind (plus 15.02%) and photovoltaic (plus 9.18%) capacities, as well as biomass (plus 4.26%).

The share of RES in the distribution network also remains positive and for the compared period from the first day of January to the eleventh day of October this year increased by 6.89% (plus 7.65% a week ago). For example, for the indicated compared period of the previous 2019 the share of RES in the distribution network was of the order of 1 496 038 MWh. For the indicated period of the current 2020 this share is increasing and amounts to 1,599,186 MWh. This is due in particular to both the positive share of wind (plus 14.30%) and photovoltaic (plus 3.79%) power and biomass (plus 0.86%).

The participation of hydropower plants (HPPs) remains in minus zone  during the current comparable period from the beginning of January (2020) to October 11. There is no significant change in the per centage of hydropower plants - minus 2.13 per cent (minus 1.80% a week ago, minus 2.18% two weeks ago). According to the data, for the compared period from January 1 to October 11 of the current 2020 the participation of HPPs is in the volume of 2 718 962 MWh. During the reporting period of the previous 2019, HPPs participated with a volume of 2,778,078 MWh.