Energy Ministry

The Energy Ministry will indirectly force electricity consumers to foot the bill for the deficit of RES (renewable energy source) companies.

An amendment tabled in Parliament on Thursday to a bill on the Civil Aviation Authority provides for additional state revenues from power suppliers amounting to 45 million euros next year to go toward the coverage of the RES firms' deficit.

Workers look at a drilling rig of the Rosneft-owned Prirazlomnoye oil field outside Nefteyugansk, Russia. Russia's oil outpur reached 45.483 miilion tons in September.

The Bulgarian Parliament approved at second reading the draft bill for granting financial aid for the payment of the debt of the National Electric Company (NEC).

Lawmakers have approved on a first reading a bill that will allow state energy company NEK to pay nearly EUR 630 M to Russia's Atomstroyexport.

The Turkish government is currently working on a coal law that will enhance labor safety, accelerate projects increasing the use of local coal reserves and attract more investment to the sector, said Energy Minister Berat Albayrak. 

Negotiations between the Energy Ministry and the representatives of the country's creditors made significant progress this week with the drafting of a particularly tight timetable that foresees the completion of a complicated plan for splitting the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) from Public Power Corporation (PPC).

Bulgaria has commissioned the third of four modernized compressor stations, which is transiting 85% of natural gas to the country's neighbours, the Energy Ministry announced on Monday.

State-owned gas grid operator Bulgartransgas has put into operation the key Strandzha compressor station following investment of BGN 70 M, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey has developed a number of plans to diversify its energy resources over the last decade. These plans have accelerated since the jet crisis erupted with Russia, Turkey's largest energy provider, last November. However, the overemphasis on coal resources in these plans has triggered key environmental questions and other concerns, mainly about labor safety in the mining sector. 

Recent hikes in electricity costs have produced anger even among ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentarians, prompting a defense from the Energy Ministry.

Russian energy giant Gazprom reduced gas supplies to Turkey from Feb. 10, the Interfax news agency reported on Feb. 25, citing data from Bulgarian state company Bulgartransgaz, as reported by Reuters.