April 2 (BTA) - The following tendencies emerge after an
analysis of the differences in the quantities of electricity
produced by power stations joined to the national power grid in
2020, compared to 2019: electricity produced by lignite
coal-powered thermal power plants dropped by nearly 22 per cent,
 while production increased of electricity by the nuclear power
plant, 0.48 per cent, by thermal power plants working with black
 coal, 1.43 per cent, by gas-powered thermal plants, 6.15 per
cent, by hydro-power plants, 1.53 per cent, and from renewable
energy sources, where the increase was 11.10 per cent, according
 to the 2020 annual activity report of the State Water
Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) published on the regulator's
website.

SEWRC is required by law to draw up an annual report of its work
 and submit it to Parliament by March 31 each year. The annual
report contains detailed information about adopted statutory
legislation and SEWRC's regulatory work in respect of
electricity and heating energy, natural gas and water supply and
 sewerage.

In 2020 the total quantities of electricity produced by
facilities joined to the national power grid stood at 33,795,104
 MWh. The greatest share of this, 41 per cent, was generated by
the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, followed by condensation
electric power plants, 31 per cent, and power from renewable
energy sources, 10 per cent.

In 2020 the base energy volumes traded on the day-ahead segment
on the platform of the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange
(IBEX) grew by 45.5 per cent (7,033,945 MWh) compared to 2019,
which is the highest increase in terms of absolute value. The
annual increases in previous years were 2,358,003 MWh in 2018,
and 1,826,633 MWh in 2017.

The total traded volume on the intraday segment grew by 54.19
per cent to 922,915 MWh. The like annual increase in 2019 was
59.61 per cent.

The total amount of electricity traded on the IBEX platforms in
2020 was 24,087 GWh, 15,087 GWh of which were traded on the
day-ahead market, 923 GWh on the intraday market, 7,377 GWh on
the auctions market, and 335 GWh on the continuous market.

The market shares of the electricity-distribution companies in
terms of quantities of power distributed via their grids were
calculated on the basis of the data reported by the respective
companies. According to these data, CEZ Distribution Bulgaria
traditionally had the biggest share of distributed power, 40 per
 cent, or 9,396,067 MWh. Next came Electricity Distribution
South, with 36 per cent, or 8,545,693 MWh, and Electricity
Distribution North, with 24 per cent, or 5,515,228 MWh.

With the latest amendments to the Energy Act of October 2020,
all non-household customers, including customers joined to the
low-voltage network, are to purchase electricity for their needs
 at freely agreed prices. To ensure the smoothest possible
transition to a liberalized market of electricity and minimize
the risk of being left without power supply, a provision exists
whereby any non-household customer who had not chosen a supplier
 by the end of September 2020 can be supplied by their current
end supplier who, however, is in the capacity of a trader of
electricity. In this case, electricity is supplied after
conclusion of an agreement whose standard form is approved by
SEWRC and which is in effect from October 1, 2020 to June 30,
2021.

In light of these amendments to the Energy Act, in 2020 66 per
cent of the customers joined to the electricity network bought
power from their end supplier in the capacity thereof as a
trader of electricity on the free market, and 33 per cent opted
for a different power trader on the free market.

In 2020 the total energy deficit stood at 524,087 MWh, 19.2 per
cent less than in 2019, when it was 624,727 MWh. The 2020 total
energy surplus was 899,567 MWh, 9.5 per cent less than in 2019.
NV/ZH

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