Electricity consumption has been growing by 3.85 percent since the beginning of the year as of July 11

Electricity production and consumption continue to improve. There is no significant change in the balance (export-import). For another reporting period, better data are reported for the participation of base plants. This can also be said for the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the transmission network. The trend for the participation of RES in the distribution network is also positive, although it is still in the red. The share of hydropower plants (HPPs), which remains quite high in percentage terms, remains unchanged. This is clear from the operational report of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) for the energy balance of Bulgaria for the period from January 1 to July 11 (01.01.2021 - 11.07.2021) compared to the same period in 2020.

Electricity production from the first day of January to the eleventh day of July this year increased by 10.43% compared to the same period in 2020 (plus 10.10% reported a week ago) For example, if during the specified time last year electricity production was was in the volume of 21 718 786 MWh, during the same period of the current 2021 it increased to 23 983 495 MWh.

Electricity consumption for the compared period of this year increased by 3.85% to a volume of 20,696,069 MWh (plus 3.74% a week ago). A year earlier for the same period from the beginning of January to the eleventh day of July the electricity consumption was in the amount of 19 929 480 MWh.

The balance (exports-imports) continues to show a high share and remains at a level of plus 83.73% (plus 83.13% a week earlier) or to a volume increasing to 3 287 426 MWh for the period from January 1 to July 11, 2021 the compared period of 2020 the balance (export-import) was of the order of 1 789 306 MWh.

For another reporting period, the share of base plants improved and increased to plus 4.94% (plus 4.44% a week earlier) or to a volume of 18,716,981 MWh for the period from the beginning of the year to the eleventh day of this year. For the compared period of the previous 2020, the share of base plants reached 17,835,989 MWh.

The participation of RES in both the transmission and distribution networks is improving, albeit at a very slow pace.

The share of RES in the transmission network, although showing a positive trend, but for the period from January 1 to July 11 still remains up to minus 8.09% or up to a volume of 701,228 MWh (minus 8.95% a week earlier). During the comparable period of the previous 2020, the share of RES in the transmission network reached a volume of 762,991 MWh. These data for the compared period of the current year are due in particular to the much lower share of wind (minus 11.18%) and photovoltaic (minus 4.21%) capacities and biomass (minus 2.42%).

The share of RES in the distribution network also demonstrates a positive trend, although for the period from the beginning of this year to 11.07 it still remains at the level of minus 4.56% (minus 5.04% a week earlier). For comparison, if during the indicated reporting period of 2020 RES participated in the distribution network with a volume of 1 106 644 MWh, then this year it shrinks to a volume of about 1 056 161 MWh. In particular, these worse data for the compared period are due to the negative share of wind power (minus 12.68%) and biomass (minus 3.51%) and the weak positive share of photovoltaic power (plus 1.21%).

The share of hydropower plants (HPPs) for another reporting period continues to hold a high positive share. Thus, for the compared period from the first day of the current year to the eleventh day of July it increased (plus) by 74.31%, reaching a volume of 3,509,125 MWh (plus 75.43% a week ago). For comparison, at the same time in the previous 2020 HPPs participated with a volume of 2,013,162 MWh.