Bulgaria is expected to benefit from cheap heating and warming of water through the use of energy from the air, soil and underground waters in the near future.

Deputy Economy and Energy Minister Valentin Ivanov and Energy Efficiency Agency head Tasko Ermenkov met with representatives of the Chinese council for the promotion of international trade and the Chinese association of refrigeration to discuss the establishment of Bulgarian-Chinese joint company for the production of heat pumps in Bulgaria, Dnevnik daily reported.

The negotiations took place shortly after the launch of the largest pumping station on the Balkans near Kremikovtsi. The system will provide warm water needed for the heating of the homes of 800 people, and is three times more cost efficient compared to other heating methods. The total capacity of the pumps is one MegaWatt. The investment made is 150 000 euro.

The warmth that the heat pump generates from the atmosphere could be used to warm up water for household needs, for floor heating systems and for radiators.