Energy consumption in Bulgarian industry is declining significantly

The latest data from the European statistical service Eurostat for the period 2014 – 2023 reveal an interesting picture of the Bulgarian economy. After peak energy consumption levels in 2021 and 2022, when the economy was recovering from the pandemic, 2023 brought a sharp "cooling". Total net consumption in the country fell below the 800,000 terajoule (TJ) mark and is approaching 700 TJ, a level not seen since the beginning of the study period.

Industry: The end of energy expansion?

The manufacturing sector, traditionally one of the largest consumers, has seen a significant contraction. While the manufacturing sector used significant amounts of energy in 2022, 2023 saw a decline that brought levels back to those of 2014.

An analysis of the manufacturing subsectors shows where the biggest changes are:

• The chemical industry remains one of the "heavy" consumers, but rationalisation is also noticeable there;
• The manufacture of metals and non-metallic mineral products (such as cement and glass) is following a downward trend, which may be due to both higher energy efficiency and a slowdown in production rates due to high energy prices in the previous year;
• The food and beverage industry shows the greatest resilience, maintaining relatively constant levels of energy demand over the last decade.

What about households?

Households in Bulgaria continue to account for a significant share of the overall energy picture. In 2023, household activities will account for nearly a quarter of total net consumption. This may be due to the slow pace of renovation and high dependence on electricity for heating.

On the one hand, the decline in energy consumption for "Electricity, gas, and steam supply" is a positive sign of higher energy transformation efficiency. On the other hand, the sharp contraction in industry is often a symptom of reduced competitiveness due to the price shock of 2022.

The challenge for the country remains: how to reduce overall consumption through innovation rather than by closing down production. For households, the focus remains on energy poverty and the need for faster modernization of the housing stock.

Translated with DeepL.