Minister Iva Petrova: We Aim to Find the Best Option for a Sustainable Future of the Maritsa Iztok Complex
At the first meeting of the Energy Committee, the Minister of Energy Iva Petrova and Deputy Minister Kiril Temelkov acquainted the MPs with the main priorities in the work of the Ministry of Energy. “I believe that you and I share the same goals, namely: expert, transparent and effective governance of the sector,” the Minister stressed, noting the need for dialogue and coordinated action on topics of importance to the sector.
The focus of the hearing was the reform to improve the corporate governance of state-owned enterprises in the energy sector, including the restructuring of the Bulgarian Energy Holding. “It is not just an administrative decision or a formal implementation of a stage or target of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Our goal is to find the best option for a sustainable future for the Maritsa Iztok Complex,” Minister Petrova firmly stated.
According to her, a financial, investment and business plan will be prepared shortly, taking into account the effects on energy security, the regional economy and national interests. The development of the integrated concept for the complex will be carried out in close coordination with the trade unions and the National Assembly, and the consultation process with all stakeholders will run in parallel.
“We have a Roadmap to clarify most details by early August. In this process, we are also intensively talking with the trade unions, because their feedback is very important for us,” added Deputy Minister Temelkov, taking into account the short deadlines that require parallel work on the different dimensions of the reform.
Minister Petrova also presented the progress in the implementation of the investments from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. These include the household support programme for renewable energy which 1,500 households benefited from, as well as energy-efficient street lighting measures, the digital transformation of the electricity grid and electricity storage projects. The Minister highlighted the disbursement of RRP projects totalling close to EUR 1 billion as a major challenge in the coming months.
The MPs were also acquainted with the legislative initiatives prepared by the Ministry of Energy related to the transposition of European directives in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.