Nikola Sechkaryov, Bulgarian Geothermal Energy Association (BAGE)

If I have to be as short and precise as possible, the main reason for the creation of BAGE is the interest and desire of a small group of experts with many years of international experience in exploratory geology, to start the real use and utilization of the geothermal potential of Bulgaria. This is purely the ideological intention of the association. The pragmatic one is, the widest possible association of experts, companies, organizations, institutes and universities to share knowledge and experience with a view to creating favorable conditions and development of this industry, which is another step towards increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing of the carbon footprint on the planet. This in itself is impossible at the moment for several reasons, but first I would put, the lack of legislation,

Simply put, at the moment the implementation of such projects in Bulgaria is impossible, and precisely for this reason, this is one of the priority issues on which BAGE is working. In this regard, in the association we have created a permanent commission, including lawyers and experts with solid experience in international law, which is purposefully engaged in analyzing the best practices in the legislative sphere of key countries. These countries are both from the European Union and from outside the Eurozone, but they all have traditions and working legislation in the field of geothermal energy exploration and use. We are trying to get the most out of their experience so that legislative changes in this direction can be proposed and undertaken as quickly as possible. Only then will it be possible to talk about the upcoming use of geothermal energy in Bulgaria, because our country does not lack potential. Another reason for the creation of BAGE is the mass lack of understanding of the geothermal energy potential of our country.

Along with this is the lack of information about modern technologies and a desire to implement them, which would help in the long-term, safe and sustainable use of this clean and affordable energy for our society. As an example, I will give numerous interviews of a number of experts in Bulgaria, where the topic of discussion is always the warm and hot springs and mineral waters in aquifers at a shallow depth, mainly in the famous spa resorts. I don't mind that of course, I don't want you to misunderstand me. Spa complexes have their place, but the geothermal energy potential of our country is far from limited to hot springs and complexes for recreation and balneotherapy, and I don't understand why we are talking only about them? To be perfectly accurate, they are practically of no particular interest except in local terms, specifically for spa complexes and partially for heating. What is of real interest for our country are highly mineralized, hyperthermal waters, unsuitable for use and rocks with abnormally high temperature and favorable filtration parameters, located at depths of 5000-6000m.

How will geothermal energy lead to the establishment of sustainable energy independence in Bulgaria?

Bulgaria has a serious potential for deep geothermal energy, and the realization of these resources will allow the construction of facilities for the production of electricity and industrial heating. Along with this, this energy will help us achieve our decarbonisation goals, especially when used in conjunction with other renewable energy sources and also with nuclear energy. However, when planning our long-term strategies and policies for the transition to renewable energy sources, we must be realistic and realize that this will take time. I also believe you will agree that life in Europe today and in the near future would be unthinkable without fossil fuels, and anyone who claims otherwise is probably protecting someone else's interest.

This energy mix is ​​unlikely to change anytime soon, especially in the current situation, but this is also the moment when serious attention should be paid, evaluated and invested in the development of local, alternative sources of renewable energy. In this line of thinking, geothermal energy would undoubtedly have a key role for our country. The good news is that the current government is thinking seriously in this direction, and in the conversations we have with them, we find full support and a desire to promptly find adequate and working solutions, with a view to accelerating the process of developing the country's geothermal energy potential. I believe that in a very short period of time, we will witness significant progress in this direction and I am sincerely grateful to the entire team and all members of BAGE who are working hard to achieve these goals.

For our professional audience, it would be interesting to point out successful Bulgarian examples or upcoming projects?

Above all, the professional audience is well aware of what is happening and closely follows the development of the sector, with which it would be difficult for me to present absolutely new and unfamiliar information. Something that might be useful, however, to share is the presence of an information section on the BAGE website (www.bage.bg/bg), in which we collect and present in summary all news related to geothermal energy in Bulgaria, regardless of the scale of what is happening. In this regard, perhaps it is good to remember the contracts signed, at the beginning of this year, between the Ministry of Energy and several Bulgarian municipalities, for the construction, generally speaking, of heat pump systems, for heating or cooling municipal or state buildings by using shallow, geothermal energy, through program funding. Also, maybe a few local initiatives of some municipalities and parts of entities, such as the Municipality of Shumen for example and the desire to build a new spa complex around the village of Marash, or the construction of heat pump installations in private homes and houses, unfortunately nothing more can be mentioned. And that's exactly what we're talking about.

That we have very good opportunities in terms of geothermal, energy potential, both for industrial heating and for electricity production, but....we can't boast of anything and it's been like this for several decades. This lack of positive news in this industry is another reason for the creation of BAGE. And this is one of our main, short-term tasks. To change the status quo, by uniting experts, companies and organizations who have the knowledge and experience and believe that Bulgaria has a lot to give in this direction and that we are yet to speak and give examples of successful Bulgarian projects. Here I cannot but mention of course, precisely in this context, the initiative of the government to push and include geothermal energy in the recovery and sustainability plan, which is a big step forward, without any doubt. If the right steps are taken and the set goals are met in the conditions of a transparent process, I believe that very soon Bulgaria will have the first of many successful, working projects for the production of electric energy and industrial heating of cities. We are optimists at BAGE and we believe that this is possible and not only that. We believe and see that there is a desire on the part of the government, both for a discussion and for a quick and adequate solution to the problem points currently blocking the realization of this clean and practically inexhaustible energy. that this is possible and not only that. We believe and see that there is a desire on the part of the government, both for a discussion and for a quick and adequate solution to the problem points currently blocking the realization of this clean and practically inexhaustible energy. that this is possible and not only that. We believe and see that there is a desire on the part of the government, both for a discussion and for a quick and adequate solution to the problem points currently blocking the realization of this clean and practically inexhaustible energy.

Could you share which of the world's good practices and technologies to accelerate the development and wide spread of GE you will bet on?

In the exploration and extraction of energy from deep geothermal sources, almost the entire toolkit of concepts and technologies is used and applied, as in the exploration and exploration of oil and gas, with the difference that here we extract either highly mineralized hot water or directly absorb the heat from the formation through working fluids and heat exchangers. Therefore, the engagement and use of the skills, knowledge and technologies of this sector, redirected to the exploration and extraction of geothermal resources, will be key to the development of geothermal energy on an industrial scale in the shortest possible time and by applying high standards of work, in including environmental ones. To date, there are many emerging geothermal energy technologies being developed by multidisciplinary teams and startups,

However, most of the most advertised ones are still in the experimental stage and currently cannot provide proven, economic solutions for the implementation of geothermal projects. Of course, this does not mean that they will not be able to do it in the next 3-5-10 years. Precisely for this reason, it is important and we constantly monitor developments in the global sector, as when a new technology is discovered that can be proven to reduce the cost of extraction and the price of geothermal energy, while increasing the range of geothermal resources that can be used, it it should be accepted and used as quickly as possible. At the same time, it is important not to get too carried away by the hype around new and emerging ideas and not to blindly believe the advertising offers and big promises of many of the companies.

Our life and work in research has taught us that it is good to have your feet firmly planted on the ground when adopting and introducing new technology, as in most cases it does not live up to its promises the first time it is used and in this line of thought, avant-garde is not always the best solution. Regarding best practices, as I already mentioned, BAGE is currently analyzing and summarizing those in energy legislation, which will be extremely important in the near future, as Bulgaria is currently developing its policies, laws and by-laws in the field of the exploration and production of geothermal energy. This is one of BAGE's main priorities at the moment, and we are focused on it as much as possible. 

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Bulgarian Association Geothermal Energy