Between January 1 and November 3, 2024, Bulgaria’s electricity production declined by 5.87% compared to the same period in 2023, totaling 31.39 TWh, according to data from the Bulgarian electricity transmission system operator ESO. Electricity consumption also fell slightly, decreasing by 0.61% to 29.79 TWh during this period.
As a result, Bulgaria’s net electricity exports dropped significantly, falling by 52.6% year-on-year to 1.59 TWh. The decline in exports is linked to the reduction in both domestic production and consumption.
The country’s baseload power plants—primarily coal and nuclear—produced 22.84 TWh of electricity in 2024, a decrease of 13.2% compared to 2023. This drop reflects a slowdown in traditional power generation.
On a more positive note, the contribution of renewable energy sources (RES) continued to grow. In the transmission network, electricity generated from RES increased by 35.91% to 2,948.9 GWh. Similarly, the share of RES in Bulgaria’s distribution network rose by 35.23%, reaching 2,911.3 GWh.
This shift towards cleaner energy highlights Bulgaria’s ongoing transition to renewables, even as overall electricity production and exports experience declines.