Bulgaria’s energy regulator has approved a 4.5 per cent increase in the regulated wholesale natural gas price for August, setting the new level at approximately €39.40/MWh, excluding VAT and excise duties.
The decision by the Commission for Energy and Water Regulation, or KEVR, follows a 5.84 per cent increase in July and reflects a change in the procurement strategy of state-owned supplier Bulgargaz.
Bulgargaz revised its initial August supply plan after deliveries from Azerbaijan were reduced. The company had originally intended to cover the missing quantities by withdrawing gas from the Chiren underground storage facility. It subsequently decided to preserve domestic storage and purchase replacement volumes from Turkey.
That change increased the proposed regulated price because imported replacement gas proved more expensive than withdrawing already-stored volumes. KEVR approved an increase slightly below the level sought by Bulgargaz in its revised submission.
The decision reflects a wider trade-off between immediate price protection and security of supply later in the year. Using Chiren could have reduced the short-term procurement requirement but would also have lowered the gas available for the winter heating season. Buying replacement quantities from Turkey protects inventories while transferring the additional cost into the August tariff.
Bulgaria’s direct exposure to gas in the electricity sector remains smaller than that of Greece or Romania because nuclear and coal plants dominate dispatchable generation. Gas pricing nevertheless affects district heating, industrial users, balancing generation and the cost of maintaining flexible capacity during renewable fluctuations.
The regulated price of €39.40/MWh remains below the broader Central European gas level observed in early August, but the successive July and August increases point to renewed procurement pressure. The commercial significance lies less in the single monthly adjustment than in Bulgaria’s decision to protect stored gas and rely on cross-border supply flexibility during the summer.
