Bulgaria will have to start importing electricity in three years according to prognosis of French energy company Areva.

Areva represetatives took part in the international energy conference Bulatom in Bulgaria's coastal town of Varna, Focus news agency reported.

Bulgaria no longer exports enough energy after the closure of Kozloduy nuclear power plant units. At the same time energy consumption increases, Areva said.

According to EU predictions Southeastern Europe will suffer energy shortage by 2008 to 2010.

National electricity company (NEC) head Lyubomir Velkov said that the country will not face energy problems in 2007. Whether the country will have to import energy in 2008 depended on consumption, Velkov said.

In case Bulgaria would need to get energy, it could import from Romania or Serbia but prices would increase from six to eight euro cent per kilowatt hour, Velkov said.

The price increase will affect only companies and not household consumers, Velkov said.