Temenuzhka Petkova

Bulgaria's government said that it has approved the transfer of 30% of the exploration rights on offshore Block 1-14 Khan Kubrat to the local branch of Australia's Woodside Energy from the current sole holder, Shell International Exploration and Development Italia, reports SeeNews. 

Russian company "Gazprom Export" is ready to buy 90% of Turkish Stream capacity through Bulgaria, it became clear after 19th of December meeting of Bulgaria's Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC), at which the state-run gas transmission operator Bulgartransgaz asked for approval of the project.

The European Commission has fined Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH), its gas supply subsidiary Bulgargaz and its gas infrastructure subsidiary Bulgartransgaz (the BEH group) more than 77 million euro for blocking competitors' access to key gas infrastructure in Bulgaria, in breach of EU antitrust rules, reported the Bulgarian National Radio. 

Reuters reported that Bulgaria plans to open a tender to pick a strategic investor for its revived Belene nuclear power project on the Danube next month and to pick a winner by the end of 2019.

Once launched, the procedure for the selection of a strategic investor for the Belene NPP project should be completed within a year, Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova told the Parliament, quoted by Focus News Agency.

The second pipe of "Turkish Stream" will pass through Bulgaria. Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said during a briefing at the National Assembly.

Bulgaria will need more than BGN 2.8 billion to build a new gas infrastructure to respond adequately to the new gas flows in the region. This was stated during a hearing in Parliament by Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, which marks the major changes in the country's updated energy strategy by 2020.

 Bulgaria plans to become a shareholder in a liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of northern Greece by the end of the year as the Balkan country tries to diversify its energy supplies, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova reported, quoted by Reuters. 

The main role of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) is to support financially its subsidiaries such as Toplofikatsia Sofia EAD, the capital city's district heating company, in order to protect energy security.

A delegation led by Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov took part at the 5th meeting of the Joint Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in Sofia.

Addressing the event, Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova briefed on the agenda of the meeting.