Pavlos Trichakis comments on the Russian gas tax, Bulgaria’s plans for new nuclear power capacities, and the obstacles facing the development of renewable energy sources in an interview with ‘Kapital’.
Pavlos Trichakis is a partner at Baringa, Europe’s largest energy consultancy. He leads the Southern European energy consulting team, providing commercial, strategic, and political and regulatory advice to clients on the energy transition.
Baringa is a global management consulting firm with around 1600 consultants worldwide, including nearly 120 consultants in Bulgaria. Sofia serves as Baringa’s hub for Southeastern Europe, with a specific focus on energy market consultations and the provision of energy trading systems and risk management in the region. Pavlos was a guest at the Green Business is Great event organized by the British Bulgarian Business Association.
There is no avoiding the buzzworthy Bulgarian tax on Russian gas. What could happen to the market with the introduction of the BGN 20/MWh for transit through Bulgaria? Does this revenue measure have the potential to impact the entire European market?
This is a very challenging question. Undoubtedly, if it is implemented, it will have an impact on the entire region, primarily in Greece, Hungary, and Serbia. In Greece, discontent with the tariff comes mainly from the private sector, not the government itself. For example, there is a clear stance against it from Mytilineos (who primarily deal with Russian gas – ed. note).
It really depends on how long it takes for Bulgaria to implement the measure. If it is cold and gas-fired power plants need to be loaded, then the tax could be a factor.
For the whole interview in Bulgarian here.