site.btaNext Government to Face Difficult Challenges Ahead, Says Energy Minister

The next government will not have an easy task and, despite all the positive work carried out by the caretaker Cabinet, it will have even more to do, caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said on Tuesday at the fourth edition of the Energy of Tomorrow 2026 conference at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia.

Traikov said he was impressed by the work done by the caretaker Government, particularly by the Ministry of Energy. He noted that the focus had been on both current and important issues, some operational and others of a strategic nature.

According to him, the caretaker Government has also managed to take the necessary steps regarding payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. “We managed to reformat the arrangements in a way that will result in minimal financial losses for Bulgaria,” Traikov said.

He also highlighted the Energy Ministry’s work on the procedure “National Infrastructure for Electricity Storage from Renewable Sources”, supported by the EU’s RESTORE programme, and on municipal street lighting.

“We also faced ongoing technical issues. The first was a faulty membrane in the non-nuclear part of Unit 6 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The problem has been resolved and the plant is operating safely,” he explained.

Traikov added that two of the four pump units at the Chaira Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant are now operational. He also noted progress on new pumped-storage projects, saying that a report identifying 10 potential locations has been prepared.

Regarding new generation capacity at the Kozloduy NPP, Traikov said that the processes has not unfolded smoothly, creating challenges for the development of the overall project.