GENERAL OVERVIEW - BULGARIA

Current Status of Biomass Energy
There exists a large potential to utilize biomass as an energy source in Bulgaria. Bulgaria has a total land area of approximately 110,000 km2, of which some 6,200,000 ha, or approximately 60 percent of the overall land area, consists of arable and agriculture lands, and 3,903,000 ha, or approximately 30 percent, is forest cover. While information regarding the use and potential of biomass has been limited, there have been recent developments through pilot projects and preliminary evaluations that do begin to highlight Bulgaria’s full potential. Next to the country’s hydro resources, biomass accounts for a sizable share of Bulgaria’s final energy consumption, approximately 3.7 percent or 409,000 toe of the calculated 10,918,000 toe total consumption (Sofia Energy Center data report). Due to the lack of reliable nationwide assessments and data, it is estimated that in practice this number is much larger. The majority of the biomass energy consumption exists mainly in the rural areas, where fuelwood, followed by the residential consumption of wood briquettes produced from forestry wastes and sawmill byproducts amount to approximately 2 million m3 per year.

In addition, wastes generated from agricultural and farming activities are produced in large quantities and exploitation of these wastes can prove to be significant source for energy generation. As the land of Bulgaria is rich and fertile, farming activities occur throughout the various regions, although the majority of the farms are relatively small, independently owned entities. Currently, many organizations from the private and not-for-profit sectors such as Thermoconsult, EE Systems, Energoproekt and the Bulgarian Biomass Association have been actively performing research as to the feasibility and full potential of utilization of such wastes.