From now on, we will have market prices and sources of energy on the free market, which are not only from Bulgaria, but also from our neighboring countries, which will be much lower. The only way for these coal plants to exist is for the state to subsidize them further - with directly targeted measures, with energy buybacks, and for domestic consumers to pay a higher price than those who buy on the free market.
This was stated to "Focus" the former Minister of Environment and Water and leader of the "Green Movement" list; for European elections Borislav Sandov.
"The only way for coal mines and coal-fired power plants to continue to exist after 2026, and especially after 2030, is at the cost of suspended funds under a number of European programs, criminal procedures with huge fines and funds from the budget, which are huge in size" ;, Sandov also said.
He explained that the extension of the life of the coal plants blocked the possibility for our country to receive the money from PVU. He defined as "populist" the decisions to make attempts to maintain them until 2038:
"We pay - not only with health, but with the huge cost of suspended European funds, of blocked programs such as the Recovery Plan. I can tell you that it is permanently blocked and only a very serious reform within the next year could unlock it again. Populist decisions are being made that are contrary to European policies, which are integrated as reforms in the PVU.
According to Sandov, the non-utilization of the money from the PVA blocks both the Bulgarian economy and the possibility of our country entering the Eurozone.
"This is a big damage, a missed benefit of several billion BGN for the Bulgarian economy, which will reflect on a bigger deficit, which will reflect on another postponement of our entry into the Eurozone.
Focus should be on what can happen – better implementation of the operational programs, of the structural funds and to some extent restoration of the pro-European spirit of work of the institutions", he also said.
The former minister recalled that, in addition to the just energy transition, the country has made commitments to liberalize the electricity market, reform the judicial system and other legislative changes in order to receive the funds under the PVA.
He explained that this year alone, the country produced 1/3 less energy for the first months of the year, which traditionally required more production. Sandov also said that the market itself will not allow coal mines and thermal power plants to operate until 2038.