"European legislation sets ambitious targets aimed at significantly increasing the share of renewable energy by 2030. The Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources was updated last year in line with the package Fit for 55 binding common targets for the share of RES in total energy consumption in the EU."
This is what the Vice President of BIA Mariya Mincheva said to the participants in the Conference “ENERGY SECURITY - BASIS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EUROPEAN INDUSTRY. THE ROLE OF BULGARIA", organized by the MEP from BSP and the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Tsvetelina Penkova. The forum took place today (March 19, 2024) in the European Parliament.
The aim of the event was to present the plan for the reindustrialization of Europe and to show the direction in which industry on our continent will develop, as well as to enable Bulgarian industry, energy and the academic sector to present Bulgaria's achievements to its European partners.
The forum was divided into three discussion panels: 1. Energy security - the role of the RES sector for the development of a net-zero emission industry; 2. The nuclear industry – production of components and development of personnel potential for the realization of the green transition in Europe; 3. The connectivity of energy networks and extraction of strategic and critical raw materials in the EU - the role of Bulgaria in the region.
The discussion was attended by Paolo Gentiloni - European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Tine Van der Straten - Minister of Energy of Belgium, Assen Hristov - Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eurohold Bulgaria AD, Rumen Tsonev - CEO of KCM 2000 Holding, Valentina Uzunova - Chairman of Chamber of Energy Auditors, Konstantin Stamenov - Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (BFIEC), Blagoi Burdin - Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bogomil Manchev - Chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum (Bulatom), Ivan Hinovski - Chairman at the Bulgarian Energy and Mining Forum, Eaves Desbazei - CEO at Nuclear Europe, Juha Poikola - Public Relations Manager of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj - TVO, Operator of the Olkiluoto NPP - Finland, Erki Maillard - Senior Vice President for European Affairs - Electricité de France, Nicola Rangelov - chairman of the Bulgarian Association of the Metallurgical Industry (BAMI), Plamena Nenkova - deputy. executive director "International activity and business development" at "Glavbolgarstroy Holding" AD, Boyana Achovski - general secretary of Gas Infrastructure Europe, Charles Eser - general secretary of European Distribution System Operators for Smart Grids, Ivan Mitev - executive director of the Bulgarian Mining and Geological chamber, Petar Iliev - Head of the Department "Metallurgical Technologies, Electrical Engineering and Electronics" - University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Ivaylo Georgiev - Executive Director of the Bulgarian Association of the Cement Industry (BACI), Teodora Borisova - Manager "Communication, relations with institutions and the public" in "Solvay Bulgaria" and others.
Before the European partners Tsvetelina Penkova emphasized: "Bulgaria has a strategic advantage in several key directions and we should put a strong emphasis on this. The nuclear sector in Bulgaria has recognized some of the highest safety standards worldwide. Our country ranks 6th in the EU in the production and processing of non-ferrous metals. Bulgaria has the largest capacity in the region and this can make us a major factor in terms of energy connectivity."
Maria Mincheva was a moderator of the panel "Energy Security - the Role of the RES Sector for the Development of a Net-Zero Emission Industry". Here's what she said during the discussion:
The current target for Bulgaria is a share of energy from RES (INPEC) by 2030[1] 27.09%. The new increased target is for the share of energy from renewable energy sources by 2030 (project of the updated version of INPEK from February 2024) 34%. Looking at the electricity sector alone, the target was raised from 30.33% to 42.2%. For 2022[2] (the last one for which there are comparable data) the share of RES is 20.24%[3].
The numbers say that achieving the EU's goals will, however, require accelerated efforts and a comprehensive strategy.
We are now at the end of the EC mandate, with an almost complete package related to the European Green Deal adopted. Now is the time to implement this legislation at the national level and we must not forget that the European Green Deal is a strategy for growth and its implementation must prove it.
There are significant challenges – both infrastructural and financial – that are hindering the transition to renewable energy. The modernization of the existing infrastructure and the integration of renewable sources into the energy network require significant investments. Furthermore, ensuring the stability and reliability of renewable energy sources is a technical challenge that needs to be overcome.
In order to overcome the challenges, it is extremely important to look for common European solutions and not 27 national solutions.
European industry is increasingly calling for a European Industrial Deal to accompany the implementation of the Green Deal. Just a few weeks ago, a Declaration of Acceptance of the European Industrial Agreement was signed in Amsterdam, supported by the social partners in the Bulgarian metallurgical industry. 10 points outline the messages for the new political cycle 2024-2029. Of particular importance is the first point calling for an Industrial Pact to be at the heart of the new European Strategic Agenda for the period 2024-2029, as well as a comprehensive action plan to increase competitiveness as a strategic priority and create conditions for stronger business in Europe. Of interest to the European legislator
The declaration signed in January 2024 in Val Duchesse is a clear signal from the EC about the need for more active participation of the social partners in the implementation of the European Green Pact.
Key messages from the first panel discussion:
- It is necessary to have a certain ratio between the individual types of RES energy. With the right mix, the need for storage batteries can be reduced. (Asen Hristov, Eurohold Bulgaria)
- Decarbonization of large industry can hardly be realized with RES. Base energy is required. Energy storage technologies must be developed. There is no mention of lead-acid batteries, which are the best for energy storage. 100% of the metals in them are recyclable and produced in the EU. Lithium-ion batteries have a longer life, but cannot be recycled, and the metals for their manufacture are produced in China. There is a lack of clarity as to what happens after they expire. 9 Rumen Tsonev, Holding KCM 2000)
- Nuclear energy is the future base low-emission energy, but the development of its use is left to the decision of national governments. There is a lack of planning and funding for the development of new nuclear facilities. It is not clear how the use of nuclear energy will be distributed in Europe. At the same time, new nuclear power plants are being built in Turkey. (Asen Hristov, Eurohold Bulgaria)
- With the right combination of solar and wind power, grids and storage, RES can be used for industrial purposes. If the RES targets are met by 2030, wholesale electricity prices are expected to be 30% lower. Grid security and storage are matters of Europe's energy security. An EU Energy Security Strategy is needed (Dries Eyck - SolarPower Europe)
- Not only one type of RES should be used, but hybrid systems suitable for the respective enterprise. The role of energy auditors will increase significantly when the green transition is implemented. Need to create a European Chamber of Energy Auditors, to create uniform requirements for exercising the profession. (Valentina Uzunova, Chamber of Energy Auditors)
- The electricity market was constructed on the basis of a different structure of the economy and does not correspond to the new realities. Industrial energy consumers are cautious about investments related to energy storage batteries. They doubt that batteries are a sustainable solution. Market-based solutions for decarbonisation are needed. (Konstantin Stamenov, BIFIEC)
- Energy storage is a key topic. It should be stored seasonally and per terawatt hour. The only workable solution is hydrogen and its synthetic fuels. Batteries cannot store industrial amounts of electrical energy. (Blagoi Burdin, BAS).
