Vasil Velev: From today to tomorrow there is no useful move, alternatives to gas from Russia are 40% more expensive

From today to tomorrow there is no useful move. If the gas supply stops, a number of enterprises will close, if they decrease at high prices, they will limit their activity or stop. This was stated in "The day begins" by the chairman of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria Vasil Velev. We hope that Russian gas will be quickly replaced by another, the Minister of Energy assured. At best, we will get 40% higher prices, which are still well above the levels that allow the industry to be competitive. Our competitors in America enjoy many times lower prices for natural gas.

If Russian gas is cut off across Europe, it will have nothing to replace it. There is not so much gas in the world, nor the infrastructure to deliver it

According to him, it makes no sense to deprive ourselves of Russian gas in order to look for expensive gas day by day. We do not know what the alternatives are, but as the Minister of Energy said, the alternatives are 40% more expensive. This can lead to bankruptcies of a number of enterprises in the metallurgy and chemical industries, in the glass production the suspension will be disastrous, it will work at a loss while it can. In mechanical engineering, a number of processes run on gas. Mechanical engineering is the first item in our expert, it employs over 100,000 people. Agriculture, bakery, livestock, social, hospitals and kindergartens are also dependent. Switching to another fuel does not happen from today to tomorrow, it does not happen immediately, sometimes it takes years

Why are we giving up a payment scheme that does us no harm, Velev asked. It's just a matter of opening an account in the bank, which is not subject to sanctions, converting dollars into rubles on the stock exchange and the moment you credit the account in rubles, then we get gas, which is understandable, because if we pay in dollars and so stops these dollars may be blocked in America and may have sold gas but not received de facto payment and not have his money. that's why they said we won't give you gas for free, that's why we provide you with a scheme that in no way creates a problem for us. We are constantly creating problems, the state should not interfere, we have a long-term contract at below market prices and why not use cheap and safe gas under a long-term contract, but buy here, from there expensive gas to "please the bosses."