Zhecho Stankov

In the early hours on January 22, Kozloduy nuclear power plant (situated on the Danube River in northwestern Bulgaria) shut down Unit 5 after a protection system was activated following a routine technical operation.

Power plant representatives are firm there is no accident. The protection system was activated during a routine operation.

Bulgaria plans to achieve its 2030 climate targets by increasing investment in the energy sector and renewables step by step, Bulgaria's Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov told New Europe.

Nearly 40 per cent of Bulgarians can not keep their homes warm enough. This share is the highest for the European Union, where the energy poor are on average 8%. This was announced yesterday by Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov before the Bulgarian National Radio.

''Bulgaria has opened negotiations with Azerbaijan on the supply of additional quantities of natural gas to be used by the future gas distribution hub near Varna'', said Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, reported BNR.

The two countries currently have an agreement on the delivery of 1 billion cubic metres of gas as of 2020.

The Concession of Mine 'Obrochishte' was terminated temporary with an order from the Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova. This is necessary because of non-payment of a concessional reward, the Department reported.

By order of Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, exports of electricity from Bulgaria have been stopped as of 01:00 on Friday.

This was announced by Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, cited by BNR and Focus agency. The measure is necessary due to difficult winter conditions which resulted in a discrepancy between production and consumption of electricity.

Progress on the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project is on track, TANAP General Manager Saltuk Düzyol said at the World Energy Congress in Istanbul on Oct. 11, adding it was a key part of the regional natural gas supply chain. 

Bulgaria's Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov has refrained from elaborating on reports that an offshore gas exploration at the Black Sea block of Khan Asparuh found no deposits.

"The information as to whether there are oil and gas is to be processed and passed on to the Ministry of Energy," Stankov has told the Bulgarian National Radio.

Bulgaria will be represented at a deputy ministerial level at the World Energy Congress, a key global event, on Monday.

Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov will attend the 23th edition of the congress that is being held in Istanbul, his institution has said.

Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, however, is also added to the list of speakers.

Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR has assured the Bulgarian side that gas deliveries to Bulgaria can begin in 2020, announced Deputy Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov after a meeting with the management of SOCAR in Baku, reported BNR.