The risks and potential threats to Bulgaria's energy security stem from the country's high dependence on a natural gas supplier.

Therefore projects that allow the diversification of sources and routes of energy resources should continue to be realized. This is reflected in the National Energy Security Statement / Energy Security Section adopted today by the Energy Commission. In addition, Bulgaria must retain the role of transporting the main volumes of natural gas in the Southeast European region.

  The report warns that at present the capacity of the only underground gas storage in Bulgaria - Chiren PGH is sufficient only to cover seasonal fluctuations in gas consumption. However, the daily yield does not guarantee long-term and full security of supply, especially during the winter. In the event of a complete disruption of natural gas supplies, even with the introduction of a restrictive regime for consumers in a country with 30-50 percent, it will be able to provide supplies for a period of 45 to 60 days.

The project for modernization and extension of the capacity of the Chiren in the short term allows to increase the daily revolutions of natural gas to 5 million cubic meters for 24 hours. The project envisages an increase in the volume of gas to 1 billion cubic meters and an increase in the flow and pumping to 8-10 million cubic meters per day. All this will allow the repository to be used not only for the needs of the Bulgarian market, as it is now, but also for meeting the peak consumption of the countries in the region.

  The new emission standards adopted by the EC for solid fuel burning plants generate significant costs for them. This creates a risk of cessation of the operation of some of the plants. Due to the significant increase of almost three times the price of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, Maritsa East 2 TPP accumulates huge financial obligations to Bulgarian Energy Holding, the report added.

  Negative factor for the energy system remains the unresolved issue still related to the past accumulated tariff deficit. However, the accumulated price deficit is the most significant. It has been estimated in the World Bank's report at 1.9 billion leva by 2015.

The accumulation of a new deficit has ceased in the period 2015-2017. It is under discussion the establishment of a long-term mechanism to compensate for the accumulated deficit.

  The report also notes that the high indebtedness of the district heating companies to Bulgargaz and BEH is also a problem.