Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy, Vladimir Malinov, and Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Belinda Balluku, discussed the development of the European Energy Corridor VIII project and the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the energy sector. The two ministers agreed to sign a Memorandum of Energy Cooperation in Sofia, aimed at deepening the energy ties between their countries. This agreement was reached during a meeting held at COP29.
Minister Malinov emphasized Bulgaria’s role as a key regional energy player, highlighting the country’s significant progress in securing energy supply and diversifying sources. He pointed out that Bulgaria’s integration of natural gas and electricity markets in Central and Southeastern Europe guarantees energy supplies to consumers in the region. Since October of this year, Bulgaria has been receiving natural gas from alternative sources, including the terminal in Alexandroupolis, where it holds a 20% share.
The ministers also expressed their shared commitment to working together on energy transformation. In this context, Bulgaria will share its expertise on the development of renewable energy sources (RES), electricity storage, and energy efficiency with Albania. Minister Malinov updated his Albanian counterpart on Bulgaria’s progress with large-scale RES projects under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The successful implementation of these projects will add around 3,000 megawatts (MW) of installed renewable energy capacity, as well as over 1,000 MW of storage capacity.
