Biogas in Bulgaria
General
According to the Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources the target
for the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of
energy in the year 2020 for Bulgaria is 16% (in the year 2005 the share was
9.4%). The Directive has a mandatory 10 % target for transport to be achieved
by all Member States, which refers to renewable sources as a whole, not
biofuels alone.
Renewable electricity, heating and transport fuels: Biogas
The use of
biogas is underdeveloped despite the available resources. Biogas in
There are no specific incentives promoting the production and use of
biogas, except of its use in combined heat and power generation. Electricity
produced in CHP is purchased at preferential prices. The amount of produced
biogas remains insignificant, however measures are planned to be taken under
the Rural Development Programme. A prospective project that could attract attention is the substitution
of fossil fuels by renewable energy for
heating purposes of public service buildings.
Biomethane is not integrated into the existing natural gas networks yet
but expansion of this technology and increase of biogas production will require
development of rules for connection of biogas producers to the distribution
networks. The draft Renewable Energy Act provides for the implementation of
mechanisms for the promotion of the production and consumption of gas from
renewable energy sources. As market is not developed there is lack of investor
appetite in extending the gas network Infrastructure. Technical rules and
connection tariffs for biogas have not been developed yet.
Feed-in tariff rates are set by the State
Energy and Water Regulatory Commission. The Renewable and Alternative Energy
Sources and Biofuels Act lays down feed-in tariffs for electricity produced
from renewable energy sources, except for energy produced by hydropower plants
of over 10 MW installed capacity and biomass-fired power plants of over 5 MW
installed capacity. Feed-in tariff rates [in BGN/MWh] amount to 80 per cent of
the average selling price of the Public Supplier or Public Retailers in the
previous calendar year plus a surcharge determined by the State Energy and
Water Regulatory Commission (‘SEWRC’) in accordance with criteria relating to
the technology and type of primary energy source. The surcharge may not be less
than 95 per cent or higher than 105 per cent of its amount in the previous
calendar year. Each year, the regulator draws up a document setting the feed-in
tariffs according to technology and some technical parameters.
Price of
electricity produced from power plants for 2010 in BGN/MWh:
Other biogas (vegetable and
animal substances)
PPs of up to 150 kW 199.05
PPs of 150 kW to 500 kW 183.56
PPs of 500 kW to 5 MW
168.08
Landfill gas
PPs of up to 150 kW
installed capacity indirectly using energy from municipal waste 272.29
PPs of 150 kW to 500
kW installed capacity indirectly using energy from municipal waste 261.84
PPs of 500 kW to 5 MW
installed capacity indirectly using energy from municipal waste 251.39
Sewage biogas:
PPs of up to 150 kW 150.69
PPs of 150 kW to 500 kW 136.44
PPs of 500 kW to 5 MW
119.34
BGN/EUR – 1 Bulgarian lev / Euro = 0.511321997
This gives
the price of 77-139 EUR/MWh guaranteed for 15 years.
Future
programme changes expected
The expected
installed biogas capcity in
Sources
National Renewable
Energy Action Plan for
Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from
renewable sources, http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform_en.htm
http://ziuaenergiei.ro/pdf/Erste_Bank_Ladislav_Tolmaci.pdf
Institute for Renewable
Interactive
EurObserv’ER Database
http://www.eurobserv-er.org
Last update: January 2011
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