In recent years, the development of the renewable energy sector in our country has been like the Wild West, including the lack of a “happy ending”, and the reason for this is the absence of the state, whose main function is to regulate, to establish rules and order. This was commented on by Dr. Eng. Dimitar Beleliev , founder of AmonRa Energy AD, to Investor.bg. “I hope the end will not be so sad, not only for investors, but for the entire energy sector and all those who use it,” he added in a conversation about the challenges facing renewable energy in our country.
The green transition, energy efficiency, ESG policies and energy trading will be the focus of the Investor.bg Energy of Tomorrow energy conference on March 19 at Inter Expo Center in Sofia.
– Mr. Beleliev, what problems does green energy have to solve? Is the market saturated with renewable energy sources (RES)?
– Energy should be green, as green as possible, and use renewable energy sources, because this is the cheapest way to produce electricity, excluding nuclear power plants. Green power plants have a long life – for example, a hydroelectric power plant normally operates for 100-120 years, for solar power plants the life of the panels is 25 years, after which they can be replaced and it can continue to operate, etc.
This shows that these capacities are not bad at all, but they are being developed extremely inadequately in relation to the geographical features of the country. We are not even mentioning hydropower plants, the water sector as a whole, which needs to be developed. Look at Greece – in our imagination it is just a sea and dry areas, but it has more installed hydropower than us, which shows that we are doing something wrong.
It seems that the RES sector is developing very chaotically and we are mainly focusing on photovoltaics. We are not using the potential of geothermal energy, which can be used effectively for heating and reduce gas costs. These are projects that should be developed at the municipal level, but supported by the state, which projects heat or improve heating in cities. If Sofia is heated from alternative sources, gas consumption can decrease significantly, because Toplofikatsia “Sofia” is the largest consumer in our country.
Photovoltaics are built in those places where there is no need for them – in the fields or meadows, where there is no consumption. We are destroying agricultural land, the purpose of which is not this, and around Sofia and other centers there are almost no parks. The largest consumer of electricity is Sofia. There are many abandoned enterprises, urbanized areas where solar panels can be placed.
Eng. Dimitar Beleliev
Dr. Eng. Dimitar Beleliev has over 30 years of experience as a manager and investor in the energy sector. Since 2002, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Central Energy Repair Base (CERB) EAD, as well as other companies in the energy sector. He has participated in the management of Energoremont Holding AD, Energoremont Varna AD and Energoremont Ruse AD. In 2020, he founded AmonRa Energy AD – a certified center for the supply of products and the provision of solutions for solar energy. He graduated from the Technical University of Sofia, with a Master’s degree in Economics with a specialization in Energy Business, from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE). He is the author of a number of publications on topics related to energy security.
– Does Bulgaria have potential for roof panels?
– This is the best investment option for a country with our geographical features. Again, I will give you an example, but this time with Germany – the country has installed solar power with a capacity of over 55 gigawatts. For comparison, in 2025 the capacity in our country will probably reach 5 gigawatts. In Germany, until three years ago, solar power plants with a capacity of over 20 MW were rather exotic. The main capacities are on the roofs of consumers. Thus, production is close to consumption – a basic principle for energy.
Bulgaria’s big problem is that there are a large number of large power plants that are difficult to balance, and when they operate in a “stop-start” mode, this creates challenges for the entire energy system – we have to think about how to balance them, build battery capacities, PVPPs, etc., which is expensive. For me, it is a huge mistake that there is no emphasis on rooftop solar panels. The power plants should be close to consumption.
– But how can this be regulated?
– This is where the role of the Electricity System Operator (ESO) comes in. It must be able to determine the areas where solar power plants can be developed and issue permits for their construction where electricity is needed. This is achieved by organizing open tenders for capacity allocation. It is not right for everyone to build solar power wherever they want. The role of the state is not to manage, but to regulate the market, to determine the rules of the game. The goal is for everyone to benefit from green energy. Now I don’t see where the state’s interest lies in the development of the sector and what we as consumers gain.
– From this perspective, can green energy be a challenge to the full liberalization of the energy market?
– It is not a challenge at all. Liberalization is a long and artificially delayed measure that should have been done a long time ago. No more than a third of consumers can be on fixed prices. How do we stimulate them to change their lifestyle, to consumption with the low, fixed price of electricity? To be prosumers ( both producers and consumers of energy, editor’s note. )? As it is written in the old economics textbooks – the market cures everything.
If the state wants to support vulnerable consumers, it can do so in many other ways than through prices.
– How do you see the role of nuclear energy in the mix in 2035?
– I still don’t see a clear strategy for nuclear energy. I don’t know when and how Westinghouse will handle the work on the new capacities at the Kozloduy NPP. This will be one of their first projects on such a scale. But we have no alternative at the moment. Additionally, there is a massive campaign underway to “slander” nuclear energy, which is not right.
– Can small modular reactors be part of the mix?
– Small modular reactors are a wonderful thing, but the safety problem must be solved. Whether you build a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant or a 20-megawatt plant, the safety problem is the same – the same “atomic bomb.”
I really want these reactors to develop, but, unfortunately, small nuclear power plants are easy targets.
– Your company “AmonRa” offers various products, what are your plans for 2025?
– “AmonRa” is developing at a decent pace. Our turnover for last year is the same as 2 years ago – over 50 million leva, but at much lower equipment prices. We are also starting the first 2 months of 2025 very strongly. We hope to start the construction of our logistics base in Shumen this year. We resumed work in Ukraine 6 months ago. As relatively new products, we offer car charging stations – AC and DC. Within two months, we will also launch heating and cooling solutions – heat pumps.
– Where do you see the niches that can bring success to the electricity business?
We expect significant changes in the market in our sector – supply of equipment for renewable energy. Due to the sharp boom in the sector, quite a few random people and companies have entered. Only those who work professionally will remain.
– Mr. Beleliev, you will be participating in our “Energy of Tomorrow” event. What is your motivation to be part of the discussions?
– We want to support media that tell the truth, that’s why we are part of the forum.
