According to ENTSOE operational data, country’s electricity generation in Q1 2023 (12 TWh) remained considerably below last year’s boom (-18.3%) as regaining values of 10-12 TWh and thus, bringing it closer to the values typical for that time of the year.
Despite the considerable drop in lignite-fired electricity generation by nearly 2 TWh, it still remained dominant with some 41% in Q1 2023.
Hard coal-based electricity generation amounted to 0.13 TWh or a growth of 2.5%.
Natural gas prices, stabilised yet still maintaining high values in the first months of the year coupled with the relatively warm January and February, led to a 26.4% drop in natural gas generated electricity, produced mainly via cogeneration.
Electricity generated from fossil fuels was 5.8 TWh, marking a drop of 27.5% compared to 2022.
Electricity generated from nuclear fuel maintained the same level of 4.7 TWh.
The downward trend in hydro-generated electricity observed last year continued to the current year though in an exacerbated mode. The total electricity generated from hydro-sources dropped by 37% compared to the same period of 2022 and went down to 0.7 TWh.
Last year’s abundant sunshine stretched over the first months of the current year, enabling 16.5% growth in solar energy generation compared to the same period of 2022. Wind-generated electricity amounted to 0.4 TWh or a 20% drop.
Electricity generation by resources, MWh
Consumption
Gross electricity consumption within the first three-month period of 2023 was 10.5 TWh or a 5.5% drop against 2022.
Gross electricity consumption, MWh
Import and export
An increased electricity import to Bulgaria (0.88 TWh) was observed this quarter as compared to Q1 2022, attributable mainly to the double electricity quantities from Romania to Bulgaria. In numerical terms, electricity import from the north reached 0.85 TWh. The same period of 2022 showed similar values of electricity quantities in the reverse direction.
It should be noted that such electricity imports were no precedent: over 1 TWh were imported within the same period of 2016 and 2017.
Electricity export was less by some 1.5 TWh compared to the same period of 2022. Lower quantities of electricity were exported towards all neighbouring countries: Romania (-71.3%), Serbia (-58.4%), North Macedonia (-36.1%) and Turkiye (-3.6%). Export only to Greece marked a positive change of 5.5%.
