Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX) CEO Konstantin Konstatinov said that the positive effects from the coupling with Greece are expected to grow. IBEX hosted a strategic workshop dedicated to the upcoming day-ahead market coupling with Greece. The workshop aimed at providing more information on the operation of the market once the coupling goes live as well as preparing market participants for the upcoming tests.
The Bulgarian electricity market will become completely integrated with the European one, and Bulgarian electricity consumers, producers and traders will be able to obtain the maximum benefits which the coupling brings, namely: automatic access in real time to bid and ask orders of market participants from all EU member states.
The leading experts from IBEX, Nikola Gabrovski and Todor Marinov, informed the participants of the workshop about the nature and development of the say-ahead market coupling project with Greece. The relevant procedures, including the back-up ones, based on which the market coupling operates were presented. The participants were provided the opportunity to discuss the details from various perspectives in a separate panel after the presentations. Expectations are that via the integration on the border with Greece market concentration will decrease, especially of supply in Bulgaria which in turn will promote competition and will dispel the doubts about exercising market power in price calculation. Bulgaria is planned to join the Single Day-ahead Coupling on 11 May 2021 (with a first delivery day 12 May) following a positive confirmation after completion of all tests and obtaining the respective approvals by the Bulgarian and Greek regulatory authorities.
