Industrial zone North in Burgas can use energy from anaerobic and photovoltaic installations

Raya Lecheva

We are currently conducting feasibility studies to meet the energy needs of the North Industrial Zone from anaerobic and photovoltaic installations. This was announced by the Deputy Mayor Eng. Chanka Koralska at the conference-exhibition in Burgas "Sustainable financing of projects for energy efficiency and renewable energy", organized by EnEffect and EcoEnergy under the international project BeSMART.

The idea is for companies in the industrial zone to use energy for their own needs and thus become independent producers and users of energy. The goal is for the photovoltaic fleet to meet the needs of all companies, and not everyone to look for ways to reduce electricity use through renewable energy sources. If they have a common photovoltaic installation, the companies will save from the administration of the process, but they will also save money because there will be no need to buy energy, but they will directly satisfy their own needs inside the industrial complex, commented Stanislav Andreev from EnEffect.

Municipalities are the main drivers in the goals of neutrality, commented Eng. Koralska. Burgas will continue to be a leader in energy efficiency programs, she stressed. But if 10 years ago skeptics were more than optimists, now it's the other way around. A city cannot become a low-energy city without the active participation of citizens.

Burgas also plans to create a single energy office, which will be a link between business, financial institutions and citizens, which will soon be a fact, she explained.

But energy cooperatives will be a challenge, and Bulgaria does not yet have legislation to implement the requirements of the Renewable Energy Directive. Currently, the Owners' Association cannot apply to financial institutions for funding for its rooftop photovoltaic projects. The interest is extremely high, and the local government is not sure what to advise the owners at the moment. Should people invest in surveys and technical passports and will they be a reimbursable cost under the guidelines of the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan? This is one of the questions that receives a contradictory answer. On the one hand, for all those who want to renovate their homes and do not have a survey, this is the right step, and if the project is funded even better. On the other hand, the aim is not to mislead people that their costs will be reimbursed, but that this will not actually happen. Local authorities believe that the guidelines for applying under the Plan are too late, and according to the initial plans, the acceptance of rehabilitation projects should have started in July. The first year will be funded by grant projects, and from 2023 will require 20% co-payment from citizens.