Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov held a meeting with the World Bank Group's Resident Representative for Bulgaria Jason Pelmar. The focus of the conversation was on the priorities in the energy sector and the areas in which the World Bank can expand its commitments - accelerating the project for the construction of new capacities at the “Kozloduy“ NPP, launching the procedure for selecting the first manager of the National Decarbonization Fund, in parallel with finalizing the operational rules that should outline the investment strategy, as well as preparing an analytical report by the World Bank on possible scenarios for decarbonization of the economy.
“The procedure for the implementation of the “Yadenitsa“ project, which is key to increasing the flexibility of the system and the integration of renewable sources, is about to be launched, Minister Traykov informed about the progress in the strategic transformation. In this sense, the possibilities for cooperation in assessing the feasibility of projects for new pumped storage capacities were considered.
The developed online tool for assessing geothermal projects was highlighted as an important result of the partnership between the Ministry of Energy and the World Bank. The platform will assist potential investors in comparing the competitiveness of projects against other technologies, allowing for the calculation of average costs for geothermal heat energy based on geographical location and thermal characteristics.
Emphasis was also placed on the continuation of support - investment, technological, social - for the “Maritsa-Iztok“ complex in the context of just transition plans. The challenges facing “Toplofikatsia Sofia“, including the possibilities for identifying sustainable solutions for the accumulated liabilities to “Bulgargaz“ were also in focus in the conversation between the Minister of Energy and the Head of the World Bank Group Office for Bulgaria. Among the topics discussed was the joint work on the energy poverty project, which the international financial institution is currently implementing with the EC. In this regard, the efforts of the Bulgarian institutions to find a working solution to the problem were highlighted.