After the meeting of the crisis headquarters for energy: the Cabinet is looking for gas at affordable prices, the business wants a price ceiling of BGN 250 per mwh, above it - compensations

We are starting negotiations for supplies from Azerbaijan, within two weeks we hope for a result. This was stated by Energy Minister Rosen Hristov during the briefing after the meeting of the Energy Crisis Staff.

He stressed that there are offers from many companies that sell gas together with the reserved unloading slots for the tankers. But the prices in these offers in no way correspond to the possibilities of Bulgarian consumers and, even if gas is bought at such prices, the market in Bulgaria will refuse it.

The task of negotiating BGN 250-300 per megawatt/hour is extremely difficult, but the success rate is low, he added. We may also negotiate gas from Turkey, because the price is something in the middle of that between Azerbaijan and Gazprom. We are conducting parallel negotiations for short terms in an unhealthy environment and high prices on the stock exchanges are an indicator, and we must convince that we can be a long-term partner.

There are guaranteed quantities of gas for September, but since October there have been none, announced at a press conference in the Council of Ministers the acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies Hristo Alexiev, who leads the established Energy Crisis Staff.

It is necessary to negotiate with "Gazprom Export" and to agree on the supply of gas from this country at competitive prices, to find a way to reschedule the delivery of the gas, we will negotiate a rescheduling until the spring or summer of next year, optimization, emphasized Rosen Hristov.

After today's meeting of the headquarters, Alexiev pointed out that the headquarters has been working for only three weeks, and at the beginning its work was concentrated on gathering the necessary information. "The problems that have accumulated are many," Alexiev also said.

The headquarters concentrated initially on the completion and commissioning of the gas interconnector with Greece, as well as the financial stabilization of Bulgargaz.

“Whatever supplies we want to secure, they must be paid for. From now on, we must work on the next task, and that is to provide the necessary quantities of gas for the population and businesses at good and affordable prices," said Hristo Alexiev.

Regarding gas supplies, Hristov recalled that Bulgaria accepted the offer for one tanker out of the 7 offered with American liquefied gas, explaining that the main problem was the lack of a free slot.

According to him, providing the necessary quantities should be at the best possible prices. Today's meeting of the headquarters was attended by representatives of branch, trade union and employer organizations, and it was recalled that compensation for the gas is currently impossible, as there is no active National Assembly.

I will invite the Greek Minister of Energy to discuss whether there are any problems on their side to start the gas supply. It is necessary to make real simulations so that we can be sure that we can guarantee safe supplies, said acting energy minister Rosen Hristov.

The maximum price for businesses is BGN 250 per megawatt/hour

The Chairman of the Board of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AICB) Vasil Velev explained that BGN 200 per megawatt/hour is an acceptable price, and BGN 250 per megawatt/hour is already the limit from which compensations should be sought, as they will compensations are sought for households over BGN 120 per megawatt/hour. However, this will happen on the condition that the contract with "Gazprom" is reactivated, commented the chairman of AIKB.

We cannot work at these levels of natural gas," pointed out Vasil Velev. "In Turkey it is below BGN 11, in Serbia it is BGN 90. For comparison - the thermal power in Sofia - its 40% is set at BGN 120 per megawatt hour - the August price is close to BGN 300 per megawatt hour, he said.

"We have no alternative to the contract with Gazprom in terms of price," he also commented. "We do not accept to pay 180 million, we can save 180 million BGN per month," he believes, if we have supplies from Gazprom. Approximately as much can be saved from Azeri gas if the interconnector really starts working from October 1, he said, quoted by Darik.

The unions insist on guaranteeing the lowest price and asking the EC to limit the export of electricity

"What was heard from the business side is that at a price of over BGN 250 for the price of gas, it means the closure of enterprises, commented Vanya Grigorova, economic adviser to the president of KT Podkrepa. I remind you that Bulgaria has the most the high levels of energy poverty across the EU, and we still do not have a definition of "energy poverty" and who are energy poor, so that they can be supported not with targeted heating aid, but for regular monthly payments for electricity and gas. What has become clear is that even for businesses it is difficult to find funds for compensation".

The unions insist on guaranteeing the supply of the cheapest possible gas. "And secondly - in relation to the price of electricity - we want to insist to the EC that we have the right as a country to limit our electricity exports". According to Grigorova, Bulgaria can secure its electricity needs if it does not export everything and if not everything is traded on the stock exchanges.

She insisted on the need for public transport compensation so that the country is not left without public transport. This topic will again become particularly painful at the end of the year, as the funds that were allocated during the budget update will be exhausted, warned Vanya Grigorova.