CEZ Trade Bulgaria will hold an auction for the free market quota of electroenergy for 2008.

This was announced on September 3 by head of the trade section of CEZ AS, Michal Skalka. CEZ AS is owner of CEZ Trade Bulgaria.

Announced capacity was 1 756 800 MWh, mediapool.bg said. For the capacity, the company planned to use 200 MWh of its installation power at powerplant Varna. The amount announced is similar to that for 2007, mediapool.bg said.

"It makes no sense for the State Committee on Energy and Water Regulation (SCEWR) to assign a smaller amount to the free market if it wants the liberalized market to function" Lyubosh Pavlas, regional manager for CEZ Group in Bulgaria said. "

Proposed amount of electroenergy represents 40 per cent of total capacity of energy on the free market, mediapool.bg said.

Licensed resellers of electricity can make offers until October 22. The minimum amount for an offer is 10 MW and 50 MW the maximum, Skalka said.
He added that the only criteria would be the proposed price. The company does reserve the right to cancel the procedure if the offers are unsatisfactory.

Decisions would be taken before October 31 and contracts are expected to be signed before November 27 2007.