The share of base plants in the energy balance from the beginning of the year to March 20 increased by 32.34%

Marinela Arabadjieva

Electricity production and consumption remain positive. The balance (export-import) of electricity for another reporting period continues to shrink at a very high rate, despite the reported positive results in percentage terms. The share of base plants remains high, but there are slight changes compared to earlier reporting periods. The data on the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in both the transmission and distribution networks are better. The data on the participation of hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) are not so optimistic. This is clear from the operational report of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) for the energy balance of Bulgaria for the period January 1 - March 20 (01.01.2022 - 20.03.2022) this year, compared to the same period of the previous 2021.

Electricity production from the first day of January to the twentieth day of March electricity production remained positive and grew by 22.61% to a volume of 13,058,578 MWh (plus 22.87% reported a week ago for the comparable period to March 13). For comparison, at the same time last year, electricity production amounted to 10,650,725 MWh.

Electricity consumption for another comparable period continues to increase. Thus, for the period from the beginning of the year to March 20 this year, electricity consumption reached a volume of 10,119,813 MWh. This represents an increase of (plus) 4.65% (reported a week ago plus 4.34%). During the same period of the previous 2021, electricity consumption was in the range of 9,669,820 MWh.

The balance (exports-imports) of electricity still retains a high share in percentage terms, but the rapid contraction rates are becoming increasingly clear. Thus, for the period from the first day of January to the twentieth day of March this year, the balance (exports-imports) grew by (plus) 199.60% to a volume of 2,938,765 MWh (plus 214.95% reported a week ago, plus 237.98% two weeks ago ).

The share of base plants remained positive and for the compared reporting period increased by 32.34% compared to the same period last year, reaching a volume of 11,253,277 MWh (plus 32.99% a week earlier). For comparison, during the period from January 1 to March 20, 2021, the share of base plants was 8,503,277 MWh.

The participation of both RES in the transmission and distribution networks is improving.

For the compared days from the first day of this year to the twentieth day of March the share of RES in the transmission network increased (plus) by 17.73% to a volume of 348,443 MWh (plus 14.82% a week ago). A year earlier, the share of RES in the transmission network was in the range of 295,967 MWh. The better data are due in particular to the increase in the share of wind (plus 16.62%) and photovoltaic (plus 30.17%) power plants, as well as biomass (plus 0.46%).

The share of RES in the distribution network from the beginning of this year to the twentieth day of March increased by 18.70% and reached a volume of 473,592 MWh (plus 16.13% reported for the comparable period to the previous week). A year earlier, RES participated in the distribution network with a volume of 398,976 MWh. This is due in particular to better data on the participation of wind (plus 25.16%) and photovoltaic (plus 20.33%) plants and despite the continuing decline (minus 21.79%) in biomass.

There is no change in the share of hydropower plants (HPPs), which remains in the red. Thus, for the period from January 1 to March 20 this year, the share of HPPs decreased (minus) by 32.31% to a volume of 983,266 MWh (minus 32.37% reported a week earlier). For comparison, in the same period of the previous 2021 the share of HPPs was in the range of 1,452,505 MWh.