Present Biomass Utilization in Bulgaria

Figure 2: Total primary energy supply and renewable energy 1990-2015

The red line shows the dynamics of the total primary energy supply (left axis) and the blue line shows the dynamics of the renewable energy (right axis). The data for the period 1990-2003 are actual and in the period 2004-2015 - estimated. The graph shows the increasing share of RES from about 1.2% in the period 1990-1994 to 5% in 2003. On the other hand, according to this forecast, the share of renewables in 2003 (5%) will stay about the same till 2015.

The utilization of renewables is mostly attributed to biomass and hydro energy. In 2004, biomass accounted for 717 ktoe (heat production only) and hydro energy – for 2977 GWh (256 ktoe). In the period 1990-2003, the share of electricity generated from RES in the total electricity generation varied from 4% (in 1994) to 7.5% (in 1998), depending on the precipitations, as the only renewable source for electricity is hydro. There are 14 large hydro plants working on 4 cascades and many small-scale hydro plants below 10 MW. The average annual load of the hydro capacities is only 1160 hours (13%).

According to a study of the World Energy Council (2003), the geothermal energy installed capacity in Bulgaria is 107 MWt (for heat production only) and the annual production is 455 GWh heat. Different studies estimate that the technical potential of geothermal energy is about 440-470 MWt.

Wind energy has negligible share, but it is growing quickly, as the preferential price (feed-in tariff) set by the regulatory commission is quite high – 90 EUR/MWh (2006). For example, the 2003 electricity generation from wind was 63 MWh, in 2004 – 707 MWh. Estimations for the electricity generated from wind in 2007 are as high as 100 GWh.

Bulgaria has relatively low solar energy potential, given its latitude. In 2004, the total installed solar thermal capacity in the country was only 42 MW (t) with total area of the collectors 56,000 m2. The National Long-Term Programme for Promotion of RES Utilization 2005-2015 estimates that the total solar thermal area will be 470,000 m2 by 2015.

Among all renewable sources biomass (mainly wood) has the highest share in the country energy balance. According to the Energy Balance Sheet 2004, in 2004 the biomass production was 717 ktoe (30 PJ), which is 3.7% of the total primary energy supply (TPES). On the other hand, biomass share in the total primary energy consumption (TPEC) is 7.5%. Almost 100% of the biomass energy potential in 16 TPES reaches the final consumer, as there are no conversion, transmission, and distribution losses. The biomass share in TPEC is comparable to the one of the natural gas.

The energy utilization of biomass in the period 1990-2004 is shown on Figure 3: