The green transition is gradually evolving in every sector of the economy, and energy itself is on the brink of fundamental change. Not only in the way it functions, but also in how it deals with new technologies, how it integrates new plants and how it plans to meet the demands of the population and businesses.
Green technologies do not provide all the answers. Solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are only a part of the modern energy mix, which is supposed to also include nuclear power, hydrogen, gas and hydropower. But the problem is not only the integral parts of the energy mix, but how Bulgaria and the region in general will deal with electrification, modernization of the network and decentralization of the system. These will be core topics in the Energy Summit 2024 conference organized by Kapital.
For the second consecutive year, the energy forum will focus on the sector that stirs the most contentious debate - state energy policy. The last 12 months have seen several important events that are changing the country's direction. There is now clarity on the construction of not only one new unit at the Kozloduy NPP, but two. The solar boom in the country has turned the energy market upside down, but it raises a lot of questions about balancing power and grid capacity. Meanwhile, Bulgaria is turning from a net exporter of electricity into a net importer - a key factor that will prefigure the nature of the future economy and which must be analyzed fundamentally.
In truth, the Bulgarian gas sector seems to be in retreat, while neighboring countries such as Greece and Romania are the market setters in the electricity market precisely through their gas plants. Although Europe seems firmly against Bulgaria - and the exploration of new gas sites and mining in the EU - there is still the question of its own gas extraction, which for a long time has been a political topic.
The conference
The event will open with an address from water and ecology minister Julian Popov about Bulgaria's strategy and the National Energy and Climate Plan, which has not yet been sent to Brussels. The role of the Ministry of Energy in balancing these questions is extremely important, especially considering that the strategy is prepared on the basis of its expertise. The national plan must outline all future investments and commitments regarding new capacities. The expectations of energy workers and miners for a "bright future" must somehow fit into all of this.
Among the guests at the event will be a speaker from a global energy business, who will address the situation in the entire South-Eastern European region. Pavlos Trihakis is a partner in one of the largest energy consultants - Baringa, with a focus on Bulgaria and will present his view on energy transitions. He will pay special attention to the electricity and gas sector in Bulgaria, as well as competition with foreign markets such as Greece.
Among the most important topics for Bulgaria is the development of the grid. And not just because of the need for modernization, but because there is no way the green transition will ever happen if it is not radically changed and decentralized. Home solar panels, batteries, smart electricity meters, and electric cars are just some of the key factors in the modern grid. The EU will bet big on the electricity grids in order to be able to meet its green goals, and Bulgaria cannot be left behind. This is exactly what the executive director of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) Angelin Tsachev, the chairman of KEVR Ivan Ivanov, and the executive director of Electrohold Karel Kral will discuss.
With changes in the sector, the electricity trade is also evolving. The director of the Bulgarian Independent Electricity Exchange, Konstantin Konstantinov, will pay attention to the emerging market of guarantees of origin. They become a commodity that is widely sought even though in Bulgaria it still remains unpopular.
After critically high prices in 2022, the electricity sector is now increasingly facing zero prices. How to improve the market framework will be the theme of a discussion by the chairman of the energy committee of the parliament Delyan Dobrev, the commercial director of the RES company Enery Severin Vertigov, the executive director of the photovoltaic association Meglena Rusenova and Konstantin Konstantinov.
Energy boom or illusion?
In the second part of the conference, the focus will be on new projects in the sector. Bulgaria's heating systems, especially Sofia's, have come to epitomize bad management and losses in recent years. In Europe, on the other hand, there are already successful examples of the modernization of these key companies. Marcin Orlovski, operations director of Veolia Poland - the same company that owns the heating company in Varna and the water supply operator in Sofia, will explain how residual heat from sewage or industry, geothermal energy, etc. can be used for heating efficiency.
In addition, the Bulgarian solar builder Solarpro, Evangelos Gazis, who is the head of Southeast Europe at Aurora Energy Research and a representative of one of the major insurer brokers ( specified in risk management) in the energy sector - Marsh McLennan, will speak about energy storage and the future of batteries in Bulgaria.
An interview is also scheduled with the founder of the tech economic company Exawatt, which will analyze all aspects of the renewables sector and especially the raw materials and materials that play a significant role in pricing and the direction in which technologies are going.
Naturally, there will also be a discussion about the Chaira pumped storage plant - the largest battery in the Balkans and a key component for the future of Bulgarian energy. We will talk about its accident, renovation, and investments with the executive director of the National Electric Company, Martin Georgiev.
Gas, NPP and more renewables
One of the hottest topics in recent years cannot be excluded - natural gas. Supplies, infrastructure, new contracts, future routes and the role of geopolitics are a huge issue for every politician. Looking at these topics, it is important to gauge the opinion of the Bulgarian gas operator Bulgartransgaz and its long-time boss Vladimir Malinov.
The future of blue fuel will figure highly in the gas panel, which will be attended by Petar Fildishev - operations director of the gas trader MET Energy Bulgaria, the executive director of Overgaz Svetoslav Ivanov and one of the new but large traders in the country - Axpo, which will be represented by its Bulgarian director Milena Videnova.
Perhaps the biggest investment in the modern history of Bulgaria is related to the Kozloduy NPP and the new two units that will be built with the equipment of the American company Westinghouse. The value of the project may reach 40 billion levs, and the planning of Bulgarian energy in the coming years will actually revolve around it. In an expert interview on stage, NPP Executive Director Valentin Nikolov will talk about plans for the plant and its new fuel.
And what comes after the solar boom? We will pay attention to what awaits us. CERB director Dimitar Beleliev, deputy and member of the energy committee Vladislav Panev and a representative of the green energy supplier Toki will discuss this important issue on stage in a designated panel.
Expectations regarding how the financing of the new projects will be affected by the European Development Bank, will be discussed by the business director of Resolv Energy (the company behind the largest solar project in Bulgaria) George Formandl and the investment director from IFC Nikola Mihajlovic.
The green transition is gradually evolving in every sector of the economy, and energy itself is on the brink of fundamental change. Not only in the way it functions, but also in how it deals with new technologies, how it integrates new plants and how it plans to meet the demands of the population and businesses.
Green technologies do not provide all the answers. Solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are only a part of the modern energy mix, which is supposed to also include nuclear power, hydrogen, gas and hydropower. But the problem is not only the integral parts of the energy mix, but how Bulgaria and the region in general will deal with electrification, modernization of the network and decentralization of the system. These will be core topics in the Energy Summit 2024 conference organized by Kapital.
