Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism boasted on Monday that the country had outperformed its interim and indicative targets on renewable energy and energy saving.

"The first report, which Bulgaria will present to the European Commission on the progress in the promotion and consumption of energy from renewable energy sources (RES), is expected by the end of the year," announced officials from the Bulgarian Wind Energy Association (BGWEA).

The first ever container block train, also known as a unit train, has been received at the new intermodal transport terminal in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

Bulgaria's Transport Ministry is going to grant all-our support to the use of containerblock trains, or unit trains, in the country, according to Deputy Minister of Transport and IT Kamen Kichev.

Biofuels and biomass may prove detrimental to the climate in the long run, according to a research commissioned by BirdLife International, European Environment Agency, announced the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria. According to them, there is a serious problem with the reporting of carbon levels, which might lead to undermining the EU's objectives on the promotion of the large-scale use of biofuels.

Over BGN 100 mln were earmarked for the construction of wastewater treatment plants in the Golden Sands resort, said yesterday Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at the opening of the sewage purification plant in the Varna residential district "Asparuhovo". The project will be funded under the ISPA programme.

A total of BGN 110 mln has been invested in the construction of the water cycle of the capital

Two new water treatment plants will process the water for the capital. The facilities were launched yesterday by Minister of Environment and Water Nona Karadjova and Deputy Mayor of Sofia Maria Boyadjiyska, reported BTA. They are located near the villages of Mala Tsarkva and Pasarel, and their construction was financed under the ISPA programme. The total investment for both facilities amounts to over BGN 2.8 mln. Clean Waters Consortium – 2009 was the project contractor.

Bulgaria could receive natural gas from Azerbaijan even in 2013, if the gas links with Greece and Turkey are built, said Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traicho Traikov after his meeting with Azerbaijani Minister of Industry and Energy Natig Aliyev and Harry Sachinis, President of the Greek State Gas Corporation DEPA. In order for this to happen, however, Azerbaijan has to sign an agreement on transit of natural gas to Turkey, said Traikov.

The state-owned gas transmission and storage system operator Bulgartransgaz SPLTD announced the bidding on three public procurement contracts in the course of five days worth a total of €21.1 mln, posted the corporate website of the company. The tenders are for the selection of a designer and constructor of the gas pipelines to the towns of Montana, Kozloduy, Oriahovo, as well as for the construction of the gas link connecting Bulgaria and Romania between Ruse and Giurgiu.

South-East European PV Market Review

PV markets have never performed so well in their entire history. While the awareness about the PV's capabilities grows in the public opinion, it now appears on the energy map of several countries. The total of newly installed capacity added in 2010 represents in average the electricity production of two large coal-fired power plants.