The shortage of bioethanol is not only a Bulgarian, but also a pan-European problem. A deficit has been created because there is not enough production. Fuels will increase in price by at least 10 stotinki. This was said by energy expert and former Deputy Minister of Energy Yavor Kuyumdzhiev in an interview with "Focus".
Bioethanol is produced from cereals - wheat and corn, and in Europe it is insufficient. Imports of products from the USA and Brazil are becoming more expensive due to customs duties and transport costs, the expert explained.
"From March 1, bioethanol is 10% of the fuel composition, which is a double increase. There will be a price increase, there is no way. Gasoline will probably be a few cents more expensive when the system adjusts," he predicted.
Yavor Kuyumjiev did not completely rule out the possibility of a fuel crisis. However, his expectations are that the market situation will normalize within a few months.
He also commented on the sale of "Lukoil" to the Azerbaijani state oil company. "Sokar" has refineries all over the world, has chains of gas stations, they know what they are doing. In Italy, however, under regulatory pressure from the government, the largest refinery in Europe was sold to a Cypriot offshore company - basically, no one knows who is behind it, except for the one who sold it, probably. Let's hope that this will not happen in Bulgaria and we will have a transparent and good new owner. Let's not forget that the refinery is one of the largest contributors of taxes to the state budget, so it must continue to work and be in good hands. I do not believe that there will be any dramatic deviations from standard business. On the contrary - if a non-Russian owner of the refinery appears, fuel supplies to Ukraine may be resumed, which were suspended some time ago precisely because of the ownership in "Lukoil".
According to him, the state has neither the means nor the capacity to cope with the management of the refinery. "Look at the recent example of the state oil company, which was supposed to create gas stations for people at lower prices, to build customs warehouses. It lasted two years and was quietly closed. The state is not a good manager in all cases, quite the opposite," Kuyumdzhiev pointed out.