Consumption of electricity increased in 2015, reversing a downward trend observed in the past four years, an official with Bulgaria's Electricity System Operator (ESO) has said.

The Central Dispatching Unit of ESO is the unit coordinating regimes of the electricity system and providing for its smooth and efficient functioning, also in charge of organizing the electricity market.

Electricity consumption rose by 2.5% to 37.813 B kWh in 2015, with reasons for the increase yet to be analyzed, Mityu Hristozov, who heads the unit, has told the Bulgarian National Radio.

Hristozov has explained that, with household consumption not traditionally varying on an annual basis (except in cases of abrupt change in average annual temperatures), the grown might have been driven either by industrial consumption or by services companies.

Electricity exports grew by 10% to 10.538 kWh, the two main destinations being Turkey and Greece.

Domestic production of electricity for consumption or exports grew 3.9%, with hydropower plants marking an all-time high by generating 22% more than in 2014 and having a share of 14-15% in national electricity production.

Two thermal-power plants, AES Maritsa East-1 and ContourGlobal Maritza East-3 have also increased their electricity production by 11.5% compared to 2014.

The Kozloduy nuclear plant has registered a drop of 3.1% due to the extended overhaul period for Unit 6.

Windfarms and solar plants have marked an increase in production measured at 8.7% and 11.5%, respectively.

State-owned heating utilities' production dropped by 18%, putting some burden off the central budget, Hristozov has explained.

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