site.btaBulgarian Regulator, US Experts Discuss Role of Natural Gas in Transition to Low-Carbon Economy

The role of natural gas as a transitional source of energy in the process of decarbonizing the economy and the need for Eastern Europe to shake off its energy dependence on Russia were among the highlights of a June 13 meeting between Bulgaria's Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and the leadership of the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI), a Washington-based nonprofit organization, EWRC reported on Thursday.

An EFI delegation was in Bulgaria for a roundtable hosted by the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), which discussed the risks of importing Russian liquefied natural gas to the European Union and the effort to overcome the dependence on Russian nuclear technology and Russian fresh nuclear fuel.

The meeting with the Bulgarian regulator was attended by EFI Principal and Executive Vice President Melanie Kenderdine, EFI Executive Director Rick Westerdale, EWRC Chair Ivan Ivanov and CSD Energy and Climate Programme Director Martin Vladimirov.

The EWRC leader said that after Russia cut off its natural gas supplies to Bulgaria in April 2022, Sofia took crucial steps to diversify its gas sources and routes. "Having signed contracts with various suppliers, we are now totally independent from Russian natural gas and our country's energy security is ensured. Predictions that our economy would collapse without Russian gas proved completely wrong," Ivanov said.

He noted that EWRC prioritizes the use of regulatory mechanisms to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, including through the introduction of new energy storage systems and hydrogen production and storage facilities. Ivanov went on to say: "The share of renewable energy in Bulgaria is not high yet, compared with other countries. Uneven production offers a very good chance for surplus energy to be transformed into hydrogen fuel."

Melanie Kenderdine noted that, regardless of the decision of many European countries to reduce natural gas consumption, this kind of fuel will retain its role as an important energy source in the transition process of decarbonization. She cited the conclusions from the latest EFI study, according to which renewable energy technology cannot yet ensure reliable and sustainable energy consumption and cannot provide energy security and carbon-free energy.

Admitting that there are alternatives to using natural gas for the production of electricity, Kenderdine stressed that there are not enough alternatives in the industrial sector. The EFI study concludes that natural gas is a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, and the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US to Europe plays an important role after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. American LNG supplies will continue to play a central role in pursuing the goals of global energy security, climate change mitigation, economic development and food security, the report says.